HISTORY is weighing heavily against Mauritius as they host Zimbabwe’s Warriors in an African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier on Sunday.
TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The two teams have met six times since independence with the Warriors winning five of those encounters while Mauritius managed one win. Mauritius, though, won the first encounter on August 29 1982 following a 2-0 victory in Mauritius in the Indian Ocean games.
But seven years later Zimbabwe emerged triumphant in a 4-1 rout in an African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier on April 1989. They followed that up with a 1-0 win on April 23, the same year in the second leg of the Afcon qualifier.
Zimbabwe overcame the Indian Ocean Island side 1-0 in their own backyard on August 30 1992. The following year in July, Zimbabwe won 2-0 in Harare. They last met in 2009 with the Warriors emerging triumphant following a 3-0 victory. New Warriors coach Ian Gorowa is confident his charges will advance to the next round of the Chan qualifiers. The finals will be held in South Africa in January next year.
The Warriors left for Mauritius on Thursday morning, via Johannesburg, South Africa and were expected in Mauritius last night. Gorowa, who will be in charge for the first time after he was installed as Warriors coach replacing Germany coach Klaus- Dieter Pagels, who left to take up a new job as a sports teacher in his home town of Stade, said although he had respect for their opponents, he did not expect much opposition from Mauritius.
Mauritius were in the same group with Seychelles and Namibia during the Cosafa Cup. Namibia’s Brave Warriors emerged top in that group.
“They can be difficult, but the good thing is we are playing away in the first leg and we can afford to take a risk and we can always make some adjustments when we play them here,” Gorowa said.
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The Warriors coach said he would improve on what has been done by his predecessor Pagels. The winner of the second and final round of qualifiers will play the winner between Botswana and Zambia, who also clash in the first leg this weekend in Gaborone. Goalkeepers: Munyaradzi Diya, Tafadzwa Dube Defenders: Hardlife Zvirekwi, Partson Jaure, Augustine Mbara, Felix Chindungwe, Eric Chipeta, Prosper Matizanadzo Midfielders: Tawanda Muparati, Masimba Mambare, Devon Chafa, Charles Sibanda, Silas Songani, Ali Sadiki Strikers: Simba Sithole, Dominic Chungwa, Milton Ncube, Nelson Maziwisa
