The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
MIGHTY Warriors coach Shadreck Mlauzi has said preparations for the Women Africa Cup of Nations that kick off next month should begin early if they are to achieve any tangible results.
The biennial continental tournament kicks off on 19 November in Cameroon and Zimbabwe are pitted against African heavyweights that include hosts, Egypt and neighbours South Africa. Mlauzi said he was aware of the cash squeeze affecting the football governing body — Zifa — but it was imperative they begin preparing for the tournament early if they are to post positive results.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela said they will announce camping dates for the senior women’s national side in due course. Zimbabwe have been hamstrung by poor preparations for tournaments and this has affected national team performances.
“I hope they give us enough time because it is imperative that we train as a team for a lengthy period ahead of the tournament.
“The team has a lot of potential and if we prepare well we are going to fell many teams in Cameroon,” he said.
The former Inline Academy coach said they would want to have three weeks in camp before breaking for four days and then head to Cameroon to acclimatise to the weather in the West African country for about a week before the tournament begins.
Mlauzi said he was impressed with the performance of his players during the friendly against Egypt played recently at Rufaro which they won 2-1.
He said they are looking forward to playing friendlies as part of the preparations and are looking at engaging Ghana and Namibia before leaving for Cameroon, where they hope to take on Nigeria before their first match against South Africa on 19 November.
This will be the second high profile tournament the Mighty Warriors will be taking part in this year following their appearance at the Olympics that were held in Brazil in August.
Zimbabwe will be making their fourth appearance at the showpiece, seeking to better their previous best performance at the tournament when they took fourth place at the 2000 finals.
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