HARARE —
A number of Zimbabwean football fans have travelled to Ndola, Zambia, to cheer the Warriors in their make or break Africa Nations Championships qualifier against Zambia on Saturday.
These fans cheered the Warriors last Sunday but were disappointed after their team could only manage a draw against visiting Zambia’s Chipolopolo in the first leg of the match in Harare.
But some of the fans have not given up and are accompanying the Warriors for the second leg at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium hoping that this time around the Warriors will get it right.
Organising Secretary Zivanai Muwashu of the Warriors Friends’ Club believes that their team cannot do it alone and have arranged transport for some of the fans to travel to Ndola free of charge.
Some of the privileged fans left with the Warriors in a chartered plane Friday afternoon while Muwashu’s group left by road in the morning.
The Warriors are hoping for an outright win or a goal scoring draw to qualify for the African Nations Championships finals. A loss of any margin against the Zambians will see Chipolopolo make it to the finals in South Africa in January with the Warriors staying at home.
But just like his team’s supporters, coach Ian Gorowa sees no reason why the Warriors cannot win in Ndola.
Gorowa has made three changes to the team that played Zambia last weekend and one thing for sure is that new recruit Donald Ngoma will be in the starting line-up as the coach goes for an all-attacking strike force that will also include Nelson Mazivisa.
Gorowa, who is in his fourth game in charge of the Warriors, is under pressure to deliver as he faces the risk of becoming the first coach ever in Zimbabwe to fail to take the Warriors to the African Nations Championships.
Zimbabwe have qualified for the African Nations Championships since the tournament was launched in 2009.
What makes Gorowa’s task harder is the fact that the Warriors have not beaten Zambia in a competitive match at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, including two 2-0 losses this year, one of them in the COSAFA Castle Cup final.
These fans cheered the Warriors last Sunday but were disappointed after their team could only manage a draw against visiting Zambia’s Chipolopolo in the first leg of the match in Harare.
But some of the fans have not given up and are accompanying the Warriors for the second leg at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium hoping that this time around the Warriors will get it right.
Organising Secretary Zivanai Muwashu of the Warriors Friends’ Club believes that their team cannot do it alone and have arranged transport for some of the fans to travel to Ndola free of charge.
Some of the privileged fans left with the Warriors in a chartered plane Friday afternoon while Muwashu’s group left by road in the morning.
The Warriors are hoping for an outright win or a goal scoring draw to qualify for the African Nations Championships finals. A loss of any margin against the Zambians will see Chipolopolo make it to the finals in South Africa in January with the Warriors staying at home.
But just like his team’s supporters, coach Ian Gorowa sees no reason why the Warriors cannot win in Ndola.
Gorowa has made three changes to the team that played Zambia last weekend and one thing for sure is that new recruit Donald Ngoma will be in the starting line-up as the coach goes for an all-attacking strike force that will also include Nelson Mazivisa.
Gorowa, who is in his fourth game in charge of the Warriors, is under pressure to deliver as he faces the risk of becoming the first coach ever in Zimbabwe to fail to take the Warriors to the African Nations Championships.
Zimbabwe have qualified for the African Nations Championships since the tournament was launched in 2009.
What makes Gorowa’s task harder is the fact that the Warriors have not beaten Zambia in a competitive match at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, including two 2-0 losses this year, one of them in the COSAFA Castle Cup final.