Warriors focus on Cosafa

The Zimbabwe national soccer team has a litumus test ahead of them with claiming a 3rd consecutive Cosafa cup crown main on the agenda for the Warriors who begin the competition at the quaterfinal stage. For the past two years Zimbabwe has been overcoming Zambia in the final of Southern Africa’s football showpiece and Sunday Chidzambwa is hoping the Warriors can land another title.

Zimbabwe left the country headed for South Africa at the weekend with the technical team eager for success in South Africa. The tournament was initially supposed to be held in Zimbabwe but had to be shifted to South Africa after Zifa’s failure to provide a governmemt guarantee.

Zimbabwe is using the Cosafa tournament as part of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations. Players trickled into camp from last week Monday with the likes of Thabani Kamusoko, Alilec Mudimu, Ovidy Karuru, Tinotenda Kadewere, Knox Mutizwa and Ronald Pfumbidzayi reporting for duty. Tendayi Darikwa also reported for camp with the team departing for South Africa at the weekend.

The Cosafa tournament will be an ideal platform for Sunday Chidzambwa to assess his team ahead of the Afcon tournament. An encounter against Nigeria is the only friendly encounter lined up for Zimbabwe, making Cosafa a crucial tournament for the Warriors. Nyasha Mushekwi is expected to join the Zimbabwean team for the Nigeria friendly which will set the tone for Afcon. At Afcon Zimbabwe face Egypt, Uganda and the Drc with the clarion call being qualification for the knockout phase of Africa’s biggest football showpiece.