Mighty Warriors regroup

Sport
THE SENIOR national women’s football team, the Mighty Warriors, regrouped in the capital over the weekend to prepare for the trip to Egypt later this month where they are expected to take part in an invitational tournament.

THE SENIOR national women’s football team, the Mighty Warriors, regrouped in the capital over the weekend to prepare for the trip to Egypt later this month where they are expected to take part in an invitational tournament.

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The tournament had initially been scheduled for Christmas, but was postponed after the Mighty Warriors failed to secure enough flight seats to Cairo, forcing the organisers to move the dates forward.

Zimbabwe took part in the same tournament in 2011, which they won after beating Egypt and Tunisia.

Team manager Charity Munemo yesterday released the names of the 25 players that reported for camp ahead of the trip, part of the team’s preparations for the 2014 African Women’s Championships qualifier first round match against Botswana next month.

The technical team retained the bulk of the players that crushed Lesotho 8-0 in another preparatory match on December 21, with goalkeeper Deliwe Makaha the only addition into the team. It is a first Mighty Warriors call-up for the Tennax player.

Her addition into the squad means that coach Rosemary Mugadza has five goalkeepers in camp and only two would be expected to make it into the travelling squad.

Other goalkeepers in camp are Chido Dzingirai, Portia Mukutya, Selby Spencer and Lindiwe Magwede.

“All the players reported for camp on Saturday and training started today,” Munemo said.

“The three-day tournament will start on January 22,” he added.

Zimbabwe will begin their African Women’s Championships campaign with a first round first leg match against Botswana away in Gaborone on the weekend of February 13-15 before the return leg in Harare two weeks later.

The championships, which would be hosted by Namibia, will serve as a qualification tournament for the 2015 Canada Fifa Women’s World Cup, with the top three teams going through.

If Zimbabwe progress past Botswana, a team they beat 5-0 in December 2012, they will meet the winner between Zambia and Tanzania in the final qualifying round in May – two teams that the Mighty Warriors have soundly beaten before.

Besides the Cairo tournament, the Mighty Warriors will be seeking another friendly match with either South Africa or Nigeria before the Botswana encounter.

The Sport, Arts and Culture ministry through permanent secretary Thokozile Chitepo, who watched the Mighty Warriors playing Lesotho, has assured support for the team in all their assignments.

Mighty Warriors squad: C Dzingirai, P Mukutya, S Spencer, L Magwede, D Makaha, E Jeke, M Chirandu, N Majika, P Khumalo, F Muzongondi, G Bande, M Musasa, R Mutyavaviri, E Msipa, P Mujuru, V Bepete, T Mandaza, R Machingura, M Nyaumwe, K Chiparaushe, S Dube, R Neshamba, R Jongondi, N Ndlovu, R Makore.