Warriors the team to beat

FOLLOWING their success at last year’s COSAFA tournament where Zimbabwe set new benchmarks, veteran coach Sunday Chidzambwa believes his Warriors will be the team to beat when the 2018 edition kicks off in South Africa’s Limpopo province from May 27-June 9.

Zimbabwe have been given a bye this year and will only start their campaign at the quarter-final stage, a week after the unseeded teams have warmed the stage with first round group matches.

All the 14 nations have confirmed their participation this year.

“We are definitely the team to beat in this tournament, there is no doubt about it. We have done what no other team has achieved and we are the defending champions. “So what it means is that we have to be prepared for any opposition if we hope to conquer again,” said Chidzambwa.

The Warriors beat Zambia 3-1 in the final last year to lift the title.

Zimbabwe now have five titles under the belt while Zambia and hosts South Africa have four each. The Warriors have been touted among the favourites and the coach is wary of the challenges ahead.

Unlike last year when they had to go through a rigorous qualifying process, Chidzambwa’s men have a shorter route this year.

Zimbabwe will meet winner of Group B which comprises Angola, Botswana, Malawi and Mauritius.

Hosts South Africa also have a bye and will date Group A winners. Group A has Mozambique and a trio of Indian Ocean islanders Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles.

Last year’s finalists Zambia meet Namibia while Lesotho and Swaziland will also start at the last eight stage.

“I think we deserve to get the bye as defending champions, but given a choice I would rather have loved to start through the preliminary group games like what we did last year.

“In the last edition we improved with each game that we played and by the time we reached the quarter-finals we were a very strong unit and compact,” said Chidzambwa.

Chidzambwa endeared himself as the “King of the COSAFA” when he won his third title in charge of Zimbabwe, adding to the previous feats of 2003 and 2009.

The 65-year old gaffer also has a proud record in the tournament where he has never lost a game.

Last year, Zimbabwe had a predominantly locally-based team with only five players coming from South Africa led by skipper Ovidy Karuru to bolster the side.

“I think we have enough time to think about the tournament and to look into our preparations.

“We would have liked to have more time preparing, but as you can see our league will be busy at the time so we are unlikely to have the players that we may want.

“It also depends on the availability of the foreign-based players. But I am sure some of them would have wrapped up their league programmes and will be back home.

“If they finish towards end of May then we may have at least a week in camp to prepare for this tournament,” said Chidzambwa.