WARRIORS stand-in captain Masimba Mambare is upbeat ahead of the national soccer team’s trip to Zambia for the regional Cosafa tournament.
TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Highlanders forward was handed the skipper’s arm band to lead the team at the tournament by coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels. The former Motor Action player was full of confidence after the team’s first training session at the National Sports Stadium yesterday morning.
Mambare said it was an honour to be appointed captain of the Warriors. He admitted it was a huge responsibility to be asked to lead the team, adding that although he has never been in this position before, he was confident he would do the job. “I feel honoured to be given the armband,” the 27-year- old said. “It’s a huge responsibility to be asked to lead the team in a competition like this. It’s my first time to lead the team at such a big tournament but I am confident we will do the job. This is a new team of local players and everyone is hungry for success and I am sure we will be able to deliver.” The team went through their paces yesterday under the watchful eyes of Pagels and his two assistants Lloyd Mutasa and Nkululeko Dlamini.
Acting team manager Patrick Mutesva said they were expecting to leave for Zambia tomorrow morning. Mutesva, standing in for Shariff Mussa who has business commitments elsewhere, said they would travel with 20 players in camp unless there were injuries.
He said all players had reported for camp including the Harare City duo of goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu and winger Silas Songani who had been doubtful after their club had written to Zifa requesting that they be withdrawn saying the team had been hit by injuries to some key players ahead of their tough league match against Monomotapa this weekend. That request was, however, turned down with Zifa arguing they had already registered the players with Cosafa. The Warriors also trained in the afternoon and Mutesva said they were happy that they had not been affected by any injuries by yesterday.
“The afternoon training session went on very well. All the 20 players have been training and we are happy that so far there are no injuries in camp. Only Nicholas Alifandika had a slight limp in the morning, but this afternoon (yesterday) he trained well with the rest of the players,” Mutesva said.
Zimbabwe have lifted the regional tournament a record four times and arrive in Zambia as the defending champions after having also lifted it on home soil in 2009. Former Caps United defender Method Mwanjali was the captain of the Warriors then. Zimbabwe begin the defence of the Cosafa Cup with a date against the Flames of Malawi on July 13. The two teams played in an international friendly match in Malawi in May and drew 1-1, with assistant coach Mutasa in charge.
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Squad Goalkeepers: Maxwell Nyamupanedengu (Harare City), Munyaradzi Diya (Highlanders), Tafadzwa Dube (CAPS United) Defenders: Hardlife Zvirekwi (CAPS United), Felix Chindungwe (Chicken Inn), Ocean Mushure (Dynamos), Eric Chipeta (Hwange), Nicholas Guyo (Monomotapa), Prosper Matizanadzo (Buffaloes) Midfielders: Masimba Mambare (Highlanders), Devon Chafa (Dynamos), Charles Sibanda (FC Platinum), Silas Songani (Harare City), Ronald Chitiyo (Monomotapa), Nicholas Alifandika (Black Mambas) Strikers: Tendai Ndoro (Chicken Inn), Lot Chiwunga (Black Rhinos), Simba Sithole (How Mine), Last Chibwiro (Black Mambas).
