Warriors face familiar foes in Malawi tournament

Philemon Jambaya

Zimbabwe's senior national team, the Warriors, are set to take on regional rivals Zambia in a four-nations tournament kicking off this Saturday in Lilongwe, Malawi. The tournament presents an opportunity for both sides to prepare for upcoming international fixtures.

Helmed by interim coach Norman Mapeza, the Warriors will field a near full-strength squad. Notably, most England-based players heeded the call, with the exception of Wolverhampton's Tawanda Chirewa. This bolsters Zimbabwe's chances against their opponents. Zambia has also named a strong squad, aiming to capitalise on the FIFA international window.

Zambia's coach, Avram Grant, views the tournament as a crucial test for his team's of young generation coming up through the ranks. It serves as preparation for the resumption of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June. While Zambia participated in the recent Africa Cup of Nations, they were eliminated in the group stage. Grant acknowledges the friendly nature of the tournament but emphasises their ultimate goal of World Cup qualification.

Mapeza, on the other hand, sees the tournament as a valuable chance to assess new call-ups to the senior team. At least nine players will be making their national team debuts, including England-based talents and local stars like Dynamos captain Emmanuel Jalai. The core of the squad that participated in the opening World Cup qualifiers remains intact.

Zimbabwe's World Cup qualification campaign restarts with a home game against Lesotho in early June, followed by a trip to South Africa. Currently, they sit in fifth place in Group C, needing strong performances to secure qualification.