Zimpapers Sports Hub

FORMER Zimbabwe captain Benjani Mwaruwari says the underdog tag works in the Warriors’ favour as it takes pressure from their shoulders in a tough group at the upcoming AFCON 2025 finals in Morocco.

He believes the Warriors are in a tough Group B, where they are expected to clash with neighbours South Africa, Angola and seven-time African champions Egypt, in the quest for continental glory. Zimbabwe are looking to go past the group stage for the first time, having failed to do so in five previous attempts. “That group is a very strong group,” said Mwaruwari.

He said Zimbabwe have the capacity to cause upsets. “I believe if you’re paired with good teams, you have a chance to win.

“You know, sometimes we’ve been embarrassed by smaller teams like Lesotho. It happens in football, but if you look at it right now, we have South Africa, we have Angola, we have Egypt. Those are strong teams.

“It will boost us as well. We’re going there knowing that we’re going in to play the big teams. Of which, when you go in, if you’re the underdog, you have a better chance to win.

The pressure is on the big teams and normally you play with little pressure.” Zimbabwe are part of the 24 teams at the continental football showpiece.

The teams were placed in six groups, with the top two teams of each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, set to advance to the round of 16.

“Our chances are very high to go to the next stage. With this format now, it’s easy to go to the last 16. “With the squad that we have, if we concentrate, the prospects are good,” Mwaruwari said.

“That’s what I think and I believe that we will upset one good team. You know the first game, it’s good that we’ve got Egypt. “Once we manage to get points in that first game, we know that we’re almost going straight to the next stage.”

Although Zimbabwe have never made it beyond the group stage since their debut at the competition in Tunisia in 2004, there are renewed hopes with new coach Marian Marinica who guided Malawi to the Round of 16 in Cameroon in 2022.

Marinica signed a one-year contract and has been mandated to lead the Warriors through to the group stages.

The Warriors camp began last week with an enlarged squad of 56 players, mostly locally-based players, with a few foreign contingent joining in.

The technical team was focusing on intensity, tactical structure and physical sharpness. Full camp is expected to kick-off next week.

FIFA has mandated clubs to release players starting next Monday. Mwaruwari urged the Warriors technical department to use preparation time efficiently.

“Normally, when you go to AFCON, you hear issues of money. So far, I haven’t heard that. So far, so good. “Let’s hope the boys will go there, focusing to play. And so far, I’m happy. “I think we have to trim the squad quicker so that we know and the coach knows what to do with the squad that he’s focused on,” said Mwaruwari.

“It’s a bit tricky because he (Mario) doesn’t have enough time to assess everyone. As you know, he called over 50 players. “It’s not easy to assess 50 players in a short space of time. And at the same time, we still have some other guys not in camp.

We might say, if all 50 are there, with two weeks to go, three weeks to go, you can do something and trim the squad and see the combinations. “But now, you can’t see the combinations if the other guys are still out there and you still have large numbers in the camp,” said Mwaruwari.

The 47-year-old former striker was an integral member of the Zimbabwe squad at the 2006 AFCON finals in Egypt.