Warriors will try and douse the Flames of Malawi

06 October 2006

By Mtulisi Mafa
Harare

WARRIORS captain Benjani "The Undertaker" Mwaruwari believes his team has the capacity to pass the Flames' test in the cauldron of the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Malawi, when they get their latest Nations Cup campaign underway on Saturday.

The English Premiership side Portsmouth striker joined his national teammates at training at the National Sports Stadium yesterday morning after flying in late on Tuesday.

The Warriors are expected to leave Harare this morning for their assignment in Malawi.

Mwaruwari, who begins his tenure as substantive Warriors captain in the tie against the Flames, conceded that it was always a difficult task to win away from home on the continent.

The hard-running striker took over from long-serving skipper Peter Ndlovu and will be under pressure to emulate his predecessor who led the Warriors to the Nations Cup finals in Tunisia and Egypt.

Ndlovu, who has come out of international retirement, will miss Saturday's match because he is still recovering from injury.

Mwaruwari believes the Warriors will miss Ndlovu's experience and guidance in their first match in the campaign to qualify for the 2008 Nations Cup finals in Ghana.

"I have always known that it was a big challenge considering what the previous captain managed to achieve.

"He led us to the finals two times and I'm filling in his boots with that in mind.

"We all know that he was a very good captain and a great player and it's sad that he could not make it for this match.

"We needed him to give us the guidance, we need his experience and we hope that he will be able to make it for our next match.

"But with what I have seen in training, I believe we have a very good team.

"It's always difficult to play away from home but we have to work hard, it's not going to be easy but we will give it our best."

Mwaruwari also expressed concern over the Warriors' inadequate preparations and urged the game's leader- ship to do better with their planning for future assignments.

"We need to have good preparations. I have always emphasised that we should play friendlies against the best nations, but we are not organised.

"We need to do what every other serious nation does, like if you look at the likes of Cameroon, they always have good preparations.

"We need to move with the world. I just hope that in future we can have such organisation," Mwaruwari said.

He encouraged the younger players to keep working hard although he still felt that Ndlovu's experience could have made a huge difference in the Warriors.

"It's good to give the youngsters a chance to play, we need to develop for the future.

"There are a lot of experienced players in the team and they can always learn from them.

"If Peter is around, he is always showing the way. We are going to miss him but it's a good thing that he will be back," he said.

The Warriors have been boosted by the emergence of young Evans Gwekwerere, a huge talent who has added competition into the forward line.

Meanwhile, Warriors coach Charles Mhlauri last night released the 18-man team that will do battle in Blantyre.

Mhlauri included Poland-based defender Dickson Choto, who arrived yesterday afternoon although there had been fears that he could miss out having arrived after the deadline set by the technical department.

Choto is believed to have had problems with his connecting flights between Warsaw and Harare but Mhlauri looked up to his experience which includes featuring in the Uefa Cup this season and gave him the nod ahead of Hwange and Cosafa Castle Cup side skipper Obert Moyo, as he goes into the crucial battle.

Choto turns out for Polish giants Lergia Warsaw and starred at the 2004 Nations Cup finals before missing out on this year's edition in Egypt due to injury.

Sundowns defender David Kutyauripo, who has been turning out for Dynamos after his stint in Cyprus, was also included in the team, having featured for the Warriors in a Cosafa Castle Cup semi-final tie against Angola at the National Sports Stadium last month.

Although Mhlauri had hinted that he would stick with experience given the little time the Warriors have had to prepare, the coach also made a bold decision and roped in some impressive young players who include Maritzburg United defender Onismo Bhasera, Motor Action's Clement Matawu and Gwekwerere.

Bhasera could make his competitive debut for the Warriors at left-back while Mhlauri would have to decide who to give the nod at right-back between CAPS United captain Method Mwanjali and Kutyauripo.

Former Harare United defender Bhasera has improved in his game ever since he captained the Under-20 team two years ago and was part of the developmental squad that featured in the few friendly matches that the Warriors have played this year.

The inclusion of Francis Chandida, Matawu, Mwanjali and Kutyauripo indicated the coaches' faith with some of the players who did duty in the Cosafa Castle Cup.

Warriors team

E Murambadoro; T Kapini; D Choto; Z Makonese; J Matola; O Bhasera; M Mwanjali; D Kutyauripo; J Luphahla; C Chimedza; E Kasinauyo; F Chandida; C Matawu; T Nengomasha; E Nyandoro; B Mwaruwari; S Kawondera; E Gwekwerere.

The Herald