Interim Warriors coach Norman Mapeza is excited to work with new members of the Warriors squad at the four-nation tournament in Malawi.
Mapeza is looking forward to assessing the UK-based quartet of Joey Phuti, who turns out for Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City’s Tawanda Maswanhise.
Other players under his watch will be Shane Maroodza of Huddersfield Town and Brentford B side goalkeeper Marley Tavaziva, who are all hoping to make their debuts for the Warriors.
Former Highlanders striker Daniel Msendami, who now plays for Jwaneng Galaxy in Botswana, is also expected to make his maiden appearance for the senior national team.
Locally-based players itching to debut for the Warriors are Junior Makunike and Emmanel Jalai.
These will join some players that former coach Baltemar Brito took to Rwanda last November for the opening Group C 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Nigeria, which ended in draws.
Brendon Galloway of Plymouth Argyle and Macauley Bonne, who turns out for Cambridge United, make a return to the Warriors’ fold.
Mapeza is preparing for the next World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and South Africa, and he is happy with the turn-out for four-team tournament, which also features Zambia and Kenya.
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“It is a game of football,” he said.
“First of all, we need to win our games and secondly, it has much to do with the assessment of these guys who have not been here before. So there are clear objectives here.
“I am more than happy everybody is here now. We did our full session with everybody, especially those guys, who came yesterday (Tuesday).
“We just did some technical work. Later we had a three-quarter game situation. I am more than happy to see the guys pushing. The hunger is there, the desire is there and the attitude is very positive,” Mapeza said.
He is satisfied with the way the Zifa normalisation committee organised the camp ahead of the Malawi tournament.
The warriors will take on Zambia in the first semi-final at Bingu National Stadium tomorrow.
“Tomorrow (yesterday) we will do a double session. Everything looks okay, you can tell from the way the boys are dressed. There is much improvement from previous camps that we have done,” Mapeza said.
Zimbabwe will clash with Zambia in the first semi-final before hosts Malawi and Kenya collide at the same stadium later in the day.
The final, featuring Saturday’s winners, will be played next Tuesday after the third-place play-off at Bingu.
