Warriors regroup

Sport
THE Warriors will regroup this afternoon for the final journey towards the 2014 Orange African Nations Championships (Chan) finals which burst into life in South Africa on January 11.

THE Warriors will regroup this afternoon for the final journey towards the 2014 Orange African Nations Championships (Chan) finals which burst into life in South Africa on January 11.

TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

The national team broke camp on December 31 with coach Ian Gorowa also travelling to South Africa for a short break.

Team manager Shariff Mussa said the team would resume their preparations for the Chan tournament this afternoon.

“The team will regroup tomorrow (today) afternoon. We have already submitted our 23-member squad to Caf,” Mussa said.

The Warriors are expected to leave for South Africa on January 6 where they are scheduled to take on Gabon in an international friendly the following day at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg before proceeding to their base in Cape Town.

The hosts will face off with Mozambique in a Group A game which will be preceded by the official opening ceremony.

Gorowa’s men will open their campaign at the continental tourney with a clash against the Atlas Lions of Morocco the following day.

The Warriors will then wind up their group assignments with fixtures against Uganda on January 16 and Burkina Faso on January 20.

The Warriors gaffer, who had an enlarged 27-member squad in camp, wielded the axe on the Black Rhinos duo of striker Lot Chiwunga and midfielder Wonder Kapinda.

Harare City goalkeeper Maxwell Nyamupanedengu and Shabanie Mine’s Frankson Bushire were dropped from the squad which appears balanced with a mixture of youth and experience.

Rising midfielder Pascal Manhanga of Triangle who was one of the top performers for the Chiredzi outfit in the 2013 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season also made the cut while the majority of the players have been regulars in the team and played a part in the Chan qualifiers and in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Final squad Goalkeepers: George Chigova (Dynamos), Tafadzwa Dube (Caps United), Munyaradzi Diya (Highlanders)

Defenders: Oscar Machapa (Dynamos), Hardlife Zvirekwi (Caps United), Augustine Mbara (Dynamos), Milton Ncube (Highlanders), Felix Chindungwe (Chicken Inn), Themba Ndlovu (Dynamos), Eric Chipeta (Hwange), Partson Jaure (Dynamos)

Midfielders: Masimba Mambare (Highlanders), Tawanda Muparati (Dynamos), Danny Phiri (Chicken Inn), Pascal Manhanga (Triangle), Charles Sibanda (FC Platinum), Kuda Mahachi (Chicken Inn), Ali Sadiki, (FC Platinum), Peter Moyo (Highlanders), Donald Ngoma (FC Platinum)

Strikers: Simba Sithole (How Mine), Nelson Maziwisa (FC Platinum), Simba Sithole (Dynamos)