ZIMBABWE coach Zdravko “Loga’’ Logarusic remains a defiant man against the adversity brought by the absence of key players and believes whichever Warriors he will send into battle in their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will complete the job.

Loga, still chasing his first win as Warriors coach, has seen his plans being wrecked by a combination of injuries to key players like star forward Khama Billiat and Prince Dube and the non-availability of the Europe-based stars because of travel restrictions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 55-year-old Croat, however, told The Sunday Mail Sport yesterday that he was confident that whichever side he will have at his disposal for the trip to Francistown for a date against Botswana on March 25 and the home assignment against Zambia in Harare four days later, should be able to deliver the results.

Loga’s men lie second behind African champions Algeria in Group H with five points and need to avoid a slip-up in order to secure the remaining qualification spot from the pool.

He is however, under no illusions as to the impact the absence of such players like Billiat will have on the Warriors’ aspirations.

Kaizer Chiefs talisman Billiat suffered a leg fracture in January which saw him being ruled out of action for two months, but had remained hopeful of recovering in time for the Warriors’ two crucial qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia.

Loga had already been told that he cannot have Tino Kadewere due to the restrictions imposed by the French authorities which require players to go into isolation centres upon return from international duty.

And when Chiefs confirmed that Billiat would not be ready for action in time for the Warriors matches, it added to Loga’s growing woes.

“For sure Khama Billiat is a player we will miss a lot. His presence means a lot for us, it is a big blow for the team,” said Loga.

Despite the blows coming thick and fast in the build-up to the qualifiers, the Croat remains optimistic of the back-up plan he has in place.

“Again it’s not only Khama, we also have some problems with players who are coming from England. It means five or six stars that should be on the field will not be with us… that is the reason we have Plan A, B and C.

“This is a situation we couldn’t do much about, we have to focus on the players we have. I am very sure that the players that will be at our disposal will be ready to play, give their best and represent Zimbabwe properly.- The Sunday Mail