WARRIORS coach Kalisto Pasuwa has said he is happy with the team’s performance at the Cosafa Cup Championship, but reckons that they can do better.
BY HENRY MHARA
Zimbabwe are currently top of their Group after wins over Mauritius and Seychelles, meaning a draw against second-placed Namibia this evening would be enough to secure them a place in the last eight.
The match will take place at Moruleng Stadium, kicking off at 1700hrs.
If the Warriors can get a desired result in this match, they will meet the tournament’s defending champions Zambia in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Pasuwa stayed behind when the team left for South Africa as he has another assignment with the Young Warriors, with assistant coach Saul Chaminuka in charge of the Cosafa squad.
However, indications are that its Pasuwa who is pulling strings from this end and the former Dynamos coach said he was happy with the team’s progress so far.
“Our main worry is to do with preparations,” Pasuwa said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“We didn’t get enough time considering that we were going to a competition like Cosafa where we will play more than one game. From the way our opponents played, it showed they have been together for a long time now. But for us, it was a matter of choosing a team and then we travelled. But with the little time we had, I think we have done fantastic so far.”
He added: “We were having problems with our play, especially in attack. We had problems in terms of breaching them, combination play, speed and change of tempo in attack. I’m happy that they got a result, but tomorrow they are playing a better side. Namibia are more organised and that will require more composure from the team for us to get a result. I have been in touch with the coach (Chaminuka) and its all about motivating the players. I’m confident they can pull a result.”
Namibia are on four points, two behind Zimbabwe after a draw against Seychelles and a win over Mauritius.
They need a victory in order to leapfrog the Warriors and move into the quarter-finals.
Zimbabwe and Namibia have met in seven previous official international matches — the former has claimed four wins, while the latter has three victories.
The teams’ most recent meetings were in the qualifier for the 2010 World Cup: Zimbabwe won 2-0 in Harare in June 2008, while Namibia claimed a 4-2 victory in the return game in Windhoek in October of the same year.
