Five Bosso players in Warriors provisional squad

Zimbabwe senior men’s soccer team coach Joey Antipas and his lieutenants Lloyd Chitembwe and Tonderai Ndiraya have included five Highlanders players in their provisional squad for the first leg of the third and final round of qualifiers for the Championship of African Nations (Chan) against Lesotho slated for National Sports stadium on September 22.

Club captain and reigning goalkeeper of the year Ariel Sibanda, vice captain Nqobizitha Masuku, defenders Peter Muduhwa and MacClive Phiri, and national under 23 captain Prince Dube complete the Bosso quintet expected to report for camp on September 16.

This comes barely two weeks after right-back Phiri was handed his first appearance for the senior national team against Somalia in preliminary round match of the World Cup qualifier in Djibouti – in what turned out to be a disastrous debut as warriors fall 0-1 to a side ranked number 202, 90 places below the warriors.

Muduhwa also featured in the same match that Zimbabwe dominated, only to lose the match in the dying minutes of the game.

Twenty four hours after the senior national team was subjected to a shocking and humiliating defeat in Djibouti, the national Under 23 side captained by Dube also succumbed to a 5-0 drubbing in the hands of South Africa in an Under 23 2019 AFCON qualifier at Orlando stadium in Johannesburg.

The senior team managed to turn the tie to their favour in the second leg with a 3-1 scoreline to secure a 3-2 win on aggregate, while the young warriors played to a goalless draw with South Africa in the reverse fixture, where young Andrew Mbeba hogged the limelight with a polished performance.

Sibanda and Masuku makes a return to the national team after helping the warriors overcome Mauritius with a 7-1 aggregate scoreline in the first round of the Chan qualifiers in August.

The warriors won the first leg 4-0 away at Mauritius on 29 July, before Dube scored his first career hattrick to guide Zimbabwe to 3-1 home victory at Barbourfields stadium on 4 August.

 

Provisional Squad

GOALKEEPERS

Ariel Sibanda (Highlanders), Maxwell Nyamupanedengu (Harare City), Simbarashe Chinani (Dynamos), Nelson Chadya (Ngezi Platinum Stars)

DEFENDERS

MacClive Phiri and Peter Muduhwa (Highlanders), Lawrence Mhlanga (FC Platinum), Xolani Ndlovu (Chicken Inn), Nomore Chinyerere (Hwange), Partson Jaure (Manica Diamonds), Ian Nekati (ZPC Kariba)

MIDFIELDERS

Nqobizitha Masuku (Highlanders), Sipho Ndlovu, Tichaona Chipunza and Valentine Kadonzvo (Chicken Inn),  Wellington Taderera (Black Rhinos), Joel Ngodzo (CAPS United), Leeroy Mavunga (Yadah), Ralph Kawondera (Triangle), Ian Nyoni (Chapungu),Juan Mutudza (Herentals)

STRIKERS

Prince Dube (Highlanders), Obriel Chirinda (Chicken Inn), Evans Katema (Dynamos), William Manhondo (Harare City), Never Tigere (FC Platinum)