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By Milton Mashasha Sports Reporter in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Bulawayo (News of The South) – The Zimbabwean senior men’s football national team, the Warriors face an uphill task under the reins of the new gaffer Zdravko Logarusic the Croatian expatriate who was appointed as substantial head coach early this year.

Since his appointment Zdravko only managed to be in charge of a single competitive match with the Warriors in an international friendly under the Fifa calendar against the Flames of Malawi with a depleted side after the preferred selected players for the match failed to turn up with a series of reasons with Covid – 19 restrictions and lodgestical challenges among others. The Warriors went on to snatch a draw away in Blantyre.

The Warriors are meeting the Reigning Champions, the Desert Foxes of Algeria in a back to back Afcon Cup of Nation qualifiers in Algiers, Algeria on the 12th of November 2020 with the return leg expected to be played on the 16th of the same month in Zimbabwe at the Giant National Sports Stadium.

It is indeed a stern test for Logarusic, Algeria has got a whole lot of master class players who are mostly plying their professional football in the World’s top leagues in different Countries all over the World.

Zdravko needs to sync his players to be at their best in order to come out with the precious points in Algeria. The Algerians are known for playing fast frustrating type of soccer which needs mentally physical strength in order to tame them. The only way to frustrate them, the Croatian must employ a physical type of play. It might help him to reduce their pace and the aggression that are likely to pose to suffocate the visitors.

Some soccer pundits will argue that the likes of the big three that is Nyasha Mushekwi, Edmore Sibanda and George Chigova were suppossed to be included in that 24 man provisional squad. Also one of the top goal scorers last season in the DStv league formerly Absa Premier League Knox Mutizwa who is a bit strong on aerial duals and more physical as compared to Prince Dube, Tinotenda Kadewere and Terrence Dzukamanja is also being chanted by fans to be missing on that squad. On a good day in office he is quite a good goal poacher.

Logarusic will be pinning his only hope from the midfield department where there are some of his best players the likes of the England based Aston Villa defensive midfielder stalwart Marvelous Nakamba, Marshall Munetsi who plays for Stade De Reims Ligue 1 in the French league in France. Munetsi was selected in the 2020-2021 Round 9 Ligue 1 team of the week along side the likes of the PSG and the France international winger Killian Mbape. Munetsi can be employed either in the centre half, defensive midfielder or on right channel of the midfield.Also in that midfield there is Kudakwashe Mahachi who can play on either wing same applies with Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat,with either Kadewere or Prince Dube leading the attack.

The South African based enterprising wing back Divine Lunga who rose to fame after giving the Liverpool star Mohammad Salah a torrid time marking him out of the match in the previous Afcon finals is likely to be given first preference on the left wing back position and he is likely to face the Algerian England based Manchester City midfielder Raihad Mahrez.

Mahrez is one of the key players to watch
for the Desert Foxes he must be kept under lock and key or constant monitoring.

Divine Lunga is Likely to play alongside Teenage Hadebe the Turkey based defender and the pair of Tendai Darikwa and Alec Mudimu with Tatenda Mukuruva who is likely to be given the first preference between the sticks.
#Go Warriors Go.

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