ANGOLA’S soccer controlling body — the Federaçao Angolana de Futebol (FAF) have invited the Warriors for a friendly match against the Pancras Negras in Angola.
BY ALBERT MARUFU
Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze confirmed the invitation from FAF, which comes against the background of the Warriors’ 2-1 victory against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana last week in yet another friendly.
“I wouldn’t want to pre-empt anything, but I can confirm that we have received an invitation from Angola for a friendly international. However, they are still to furnish us with the proposed date for the friendly match which is likely to be played in October,” he said. “The date on which the friendly match will be played will determine whether we use locally-based players or also include the foreign-based. If the match falls on the Fifa calendar, then we might include foreign-based players,” he said.
Mashingaidze added that they are leaving nothing to chance, as the Warriors prepare for the 2014 Africa Nations Championships (Chan) finals to be hosted by South Africa in January.
“We want the Warriors to have the best preparations for Chan and also lay a solid background for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. I will be in Egypt for the Chan draw to be held on Wednesday. That is where I will meet other associations, in view of organising friendly matches with their teams. Our targets are those countries that we are not drawn against for Chan finals,” he said.
The Warriors, who had a stuttering 2014 World Cup campaign, finishing with a measly two points in their group, have been on a revival patch under new coach Ian Gorowa who replaced Klaus Dieter Pagels.
The team’s rebuilding exercise has been gathering momentum and on Tuesday last week, Knowledge Musona and Cuthbert Malajila’s goals saw them dismissing South Africa 2-1 at Johannesburg’s Orlando Stadium in an international friendly.
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The victory saw the Warriors moving 15 places up the Coca-Cola Fifa world rankings to occupy position 101. Angola, who are also rebuilding following their failure to qualify for Chan and 2014 World Cup, are ranked 12 places better than Zimbabwe.
The victory came hard on the heels of the team beating Zambia 1-0 to book a place on the Chan finals.
Angola’s Pancras Negras have also failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, and lost to Mozambique in the final qualifier for 2014 Chan.
