Ishemunyoro Chingwere

A bruised Warriors squad troop into the giant National Sports Stadium this afternoon for a date with Burundi

seeking to re-ignite their hope of qualifying for next year’s African Cup of Nations finals in South Africa.

The Warriors will be eager to put a smile on their fans who could only watch in dismay as the team’s prospects of a dance at the world soccer jamboree to be hosted by Brazil in 2014 went up in smoke over the past three weeks.

Zimbabwe need to overturn a 1-2 deficit suffered at the hands of Les Hirondelles, as Burundi are affectionately known, to entertain hopes of lining up against Africa’s best at the 2013 soccer show-piece happening next door.

The Warriors, who have failed to find the target in their last two World Cup matches, will need not be reminded that a similar feat will see them booted out of the running by a determined Burundi side who declared on arrival that they are not here on holiday.
“We appreciate that the fans are in desperate need of a win and so is the team in general. The boys are more than ready to put behind them the disappointments and give it a big fight in order to grind a good result,” assistant coach David “Yogi” Mandigora said earlier in the week.

“This is a team that we played away in Burundi so we know what to expect and we have thus sufficiently geared ourselves for a grueling battle,” said the 1980 Soccer Star of the Year.

Mandigora, a veteran of African football jungles in his own right, admitted that scoring goals has been their Achilles’ heels, but the technical team was doing its best to rectify the problem.

The coming on board of the legendary Peter Ndlovu, who was tasked with sharpening the strikers, should give hope to the nation who expect nothing short of a clear victory.
Talismanic striker and Germany-based Knowledge Musona, who is expected to front the search for goals having been passed medically fit, will know what is expected of him and his striking partner Takesure Chinyama.

The strikers will be happy to face a shaky Burundi defence m issing the services of skipper and central defender Vallery Nahayo.
Musona’s long time friend, Khama Billiat, is expected back in the team to find his spark which had clearly deserted him in the past two games.
Competition is rife in the midfield as players vie for the responsibility of driving the engine room and the manufacturing of goals.

However, the same cannot be said in defence where captain Tapuwa Kapini appears to have his defensive cover tailor-made for him.
Veteran midfielder Esrom Nyandoro and Carlington Nyadombo redeemed themselves with a stellar show in Maputo last week and are likely to continue their mean partnership at the heart of defence where they probably will be up against Dutch-based forward Kassim Bezimana.

There is nothing standing against a place for Oscar Machapa who has patrolled the right back position in the previous two matches against Guinea and Mozambique, with Onismor Bhasera complementing him on the left for the second week running.
There are also little or no qualms with outfield skipper Tinashe “General” Nengomasha, who has anchored the Warriors midfield impressively in the last two weeks, forming the

first walls of defence but it is the identity of his partner that presents a challenge.

Judging from Gumbo’s last training session, Nengomasha is likely to be partnered in central midfield by Willard Katsande for the second straight week after he surprisingly started on the bench against the Syli Nationale of Guinea but lit up the show when he came in for Swiss based Archieford Gutu.
With French-based Ovidy Karuru ruled out with a rib injury, Gutu is likely to be pushed wide on the right where he will however have to contend with competition from the lively Denver Mukamba.

Cyprus-based Vusa Nyoni, who has never disappointed in national colours will also make a strong claim for a birth on the left wing.
Gumbo’s striking reinforcements that include current Castle Lager PSL top-goal scorer Nelson Mazivisa are likely to find breaking into the starting line-up too daunting a task with only Hwange’s Fransisco Zikumbawire who has been in camp since the Guinea match making a big statement to the coaches for a start in the team.

Gumbo will however not find it easy to temper with his striking partnership of Musona and Chinyama who have continued to show that they are an act above the rest at training despite failing to turn their training form into match form.

Burundi’s assistant coach Amars Niyongabo conceded that the dynamics have changed and his team will not be expecting to duplicate their Bujumbura result today.
“There is no way you can equate this match to the one we played in Bujumbura. Zimbabwe will obviously be buoyed by their home crowd but we are not already looking for excuses. We have adequately prepared for this match having been booted out of the World Cup qualifiers,” Amars said.

He also down-played the absence of his skipper Valery Nahayo saying whoever is going to be slotted to play in his position is expected to do the job equally well.
“Valery does not play alone, he is just part of a team and when he is not there he will be replaced and although those that will replace him are not going to play like him, we expect them to be committed and do the job at hand,” Amars said.

Probable line-up
T.Kapini, E.Nyandoro, C.Nyadombo, O.Bhasera, O.Machapa, T.Nengomasha, W.Katsande, V.Nyoni, K.Billiat, T.Chinyama, K.Musona.