THE Young Warriors play the Botswana senior side in an international friendly match this afternoon at the National Stadium in Gaborone as preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympics qualifiers start to take shape. HENRY MHARA SPORTS REPORTER
The match, which is scheduled to kick-off at 3pm, is part of Botswana’s Independence Day celebrations.
Botswana today celebrates 48 years of independence with the game forming a major part of the festivities.
While Botswana are using the match to celebrate their independence and the remaining qualifying matches for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Zimbabwe are out of the Afcon race and have since turned their focus in qualifying for the Rio Olympics.
The Young Warriors squad, without head coach Kalisto Pasuwa who is in Egypt for a Fifa course, flew into Gaborone on Sunday evening ahead of the match.
Assistant coach Saul Chaminuka who followed the team by road on Sunday evening, connecting from Bulawayo where he had led his ZPC Kariba side to a stunning 3-1 win over Highlanders, joined the rest of the team yesterday morning. He is assisted by Hwange coach Nation Dube, who missed his side’s 0-0 draw against Bantu Rovers yesterday.
The team had two training sessions including one at the match venue yesterday afternoon. The Young Warriors first 11 for the match was announced soon after the afternoon training session with eight of the players who played at last year’s Cosafa Under-20 making it into the team.
Caps United left—back Ronald Pfumbidzai has been handed the armband and will lead the team from the back.
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Other experienced players in the squad include How Mine goalkeeper Benard Donovan, Dynamos defender Blessing Moyo, Buffaloes’ Liberty Chakoroma, Highlanders Gabriel Nyoni and Knox Mtizwa, while the FC Platinum’s Wisdom Mutasa and Walter Musona are expected to provide the bite upfront.
Dube said he expected his team to do well despite the fact that they would be playing a senior Botswana team.
“Most of the players in the team play in the Premier League so I want to believe we have the same quality as our opponents. We have almost the same squad that participated in the Under-20 Cosafa Cup, so there should be no major problems in terms of the players gelling. We expect a good performance from the players because they are eager to impress us. After the senior team was disbanded, these guys know that they are the future which should be a big motivation for them as they go into the match,” Dube said.
Young Warriors Starting XI
Goalkeeper: B Donovan
Defenders: B Moyo, R Pfumbidzai (captain), L Chakoroma, K Moyo
Midfielders: N Masuku, K Mtizwa, R Ruvhere, W Mutasa
Strikers: G Nyoni, W Musona
