The Sunday Mail
Ralston Muchoko
MIGHTY WARRIORS coach, Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda believes familiarity will be the team’s greatest weapon when the team resumes its African Women Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a date against Zambia next month.
“We have played Zambia on several occasions and pretty much know what to expect,” said Sibanda.
“We have lost and we also won some games, so our chances are 50/50. This one can go either way.”
Sibanda has named a 26-woman’s provisional squad. Herentals’ Tabitha Mutinhiri and Sarudzai Chikore have been roped in to bolster the Mighty Warriors’ defence which Sibanda has been worried about.
“Tabitha Mutinhiri from Herentals and Sarudzai Chikore from Harare City Queens will most certainly add a little strength to our defence which will surely be tested against Zambia,” said the Mighty Warriors coach.
“In our last match the players performance was not 100%, the fitness levels were down as we were coming from the off-season. “Luckily, the players have had some game time. But it is only during the camp that we will try and figure out on the fitness levels, team’s strengths, weaknesses and possible combinations.”
The Mighty Warriors will travel to Zambia for the first leg on June 4 and then round off their campaign with the reverse fixture on June 9 at home.
Zimbabwe beat Namibia 4-0 on aggregate in the first round while Zambia held Tanzania to 3-3 away before they settled for a 1-1 deadlock in Lusaka.
But there is worry within the Mighty Warriors camp that failure to get into camp on time will negatively impact on the team’s performance.
“How are we expected to perform when we do not get the full support of Zifa? Right now the men are in camp preparing for Cosafa but we have no idea when we will go into camp.
“Clearly women’s football is not being taken seriously in this country, it seems everyone is focused on the guys,” said a Mighty Warriors player.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela could not give the exact date the women’s national team will troop into camp.
“We will release the programme on Monday (tomorrow),” he said.
