Zdravko Logarusic is expected to meet his technical team today to finalise his Warriors squad, for the COSAFA Cup, in South Africa.

The Warriors were this week given the greenlight, by the Sports Commission, to travel to South Africa, and compete at the regional tournament.

Team manager, Wellington Mpandare, yesterday said it was all systems go, for the Warriors, who are expected to hold a week-long training camp, starting next Monday.

“We are all excited and, at the same time, grateful to the authorities for making the Warriors’ participation, at this tournament, possible,” said Mpandare.

“This is an important tournament, which helps expose some of the talent that we have, as a country.“

Remember, there are the World Cup qualifiers coming up, later this year, and also the CHAN tournament qualifiers.

“So, the technical team is expected to meet tomorrow (today), to finalise issues related to the squad selection, and discuss the plans, for the preparations.

“I am sure we will be able to release the names of the players, after that meeting, we have to come with a squad of 20 travelling players, and then place five on standby, as per the COSAFA requirements.’’

Mpandare said coming up with the right players will be a tough exercise.

“This is not going to be an easy exercise because the coach was not able to watch, as many games as he would have liked, since football was disrupted by Covid-19, these past two years,’’ he said.

“We were happy, after Chibuku kicked off but, then Covid-19 struck the nation again, and the games had to stop.

“The coach would have loved to watch, as many games as possible, in this tournament.“

He had plans to go around the country, to see the players in action, but it’s not possible now.

“Registration for the COSAFA tournament closes this Sunday. If all goes well, we are supposed to begin camp on Monday, and then leave on July 5.”

The Warriors were hoping to use the COSAFA Cup, as part of the national team’s preparations, for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, in September.

However, things will not go according to plan for the coaches, in the absence of European-based stars. Some of Zimbabwe’s key foreign-based players, like Marshall Munetsi and Marvelous Nakamba, were expected to return to their bases yesterday.

Skipper Knowledge Nakamba left for his base, in Belgium, on Tuesday.

The Warriors, who are record winners of the regional tournament, were drawn in the same group with guests Senegal.

The other two teams in the group are Mozambique and Namibia.

Zimbabwe will open their quest for a seventh title with a game against Namibia.Hosts South Africa are in Group A, which also has Lesotho, Eswatini and Botswana.

Defending champions Zambia, who won the last edition in 2019, lead Group B and will face Malawi, Madagascar, and Comoros.

The 12-team tournament will run from July 7 to 18 at Nelson Mandela Bay.The top team, from each groups, will advance to the semi-finals.

They will be joined, in the last four, by the best second-placed team, from the three groups.

-State Media