Mighty Warriors worry Kwinji

MIGHTY Warriors coach Sithetheliwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda is racing against time to get players in shape ahead of the crucial back-to-back CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer qualifiers against Botswana later this month.

Zimbabwe will host Botswana on February 18 at the National Sports Stadium before the two sides lock horns in the reverse fixture five days later in Francistown.

Kwinji has 12 days left before the first of the two crucial ties gets underway.

And the former Zimbabwe international is sweating over the fitness of players who have been inactive for more than two years after ZIFA ignored pleas to speed up the resumption of women’s football.

“It is not a secret that most of our players have been inactive since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019,” said Sibanda.

“Most of the players are rusty and since we began camp last Wednesday, we have been working on getting all players onto the same fitness levels.

“The fitness levels are between low and medium, and we have devised a schedule to work on improving their fitness starting with aerobics.

“We hope that by the time the foreign-based players jet in, they will be on the same level.”

Of the 29-member squad she named last week, 25 have reported for camp, with the foreign-based contingent expected to join the rest of the squad a week before they host the Lady Zebras.

“All the local-based players have reported for camp and we are expecting the four foreign-based players to join us a week before the match.

“As for the foreign-based players, we are not worried about their fitness, because they have been getting game time at their respective clubs.

“When they join the squad, we will be working on the tactical approach.”

Sibanda is hopeful the arrival of the foreign legion will boost morale in camp and help motivate the squad.

“It is good that we now have foreign-based players in our national team. This is good for the country and also it acts as a motivational factor for other local girls.

“The more we have players playing beyond our borders, the more competitive we become.”

Seasoned strikers Emmaculate Msipa, who is in Turkey; Israel-based Rudo Neshamba; Berita Kabwe, who plies her trade in Nigeria, and Danai Bhobho, who is playing in the Tanzanian league, make up the Mighty Warriors foreign contingent.

Having missed out on qualification for AFCON in Ghana, Sibanda added, the players were now eager to make amends and overcome Botswana in the qualification decider.

“Everyone is geared up for the match, they know what it means to represent the country at the continent’s biggest football showcase.

“But we will not be taking Botswana lightly because you can see how greatly they have improved in the last years, hence we will have to be at our best.”

The winner between the two teams will qualify for AFCON in Morocco in July.

The four teams that reach the semi-finals at the tournament also automatically qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.

Given the absence of direct flights between Harare and Francistown, the Mighty Warriors team management has been running around to find the best travelling arrangement that would also ensure the team does not suffer travel fatigue.