Standardsport attended the Warriors’ week-long camp training sessions from Monday until the day the team left for Angola. the idea was to see if the preparations were good enough to see Zimbabwe through in Angola.
Report by Mike Madyira and Ranganai Dzotizei
Monday Preparations started with light training at Pandhari Lodge with fitness trainer Gerald Maguranyanga taking players through their paces under the watchful eyes of coach Rahman Gumbo, his two assistants Peter Ndlovu and David Mandogora, and goalkeepers coach Richard Tswatswa.
At around 3pm, Maguranyanga took the Warriors into the swimming pool, flexing their legs and engaging them in other exercises until they knocked off at around 5pm.
Tuesday Mid-Morning session: The training session started at 11:30am with Peter Ndlovu working with the strikers. They conducted shooting practice sessions. Gumbo worked with the defenders while Mandigora paced his midfielders. Noel Kaseke, Vusa Nyoni and Carlington Nyadombo sat out of the morning workout as they had just arrived from their club bases.
11:38am: Gumbo gives strikers instructions. Peter works with midfielders on shooting at goal. Mandigora takes defenders through some paces. 11:43am: Gumbo works with strikers on movement off and on the ball.11:51am: Gumbo emphasises on quick movement and speed during play with the midfielders. Defenders go through shooting practice with Peter while the strikers pace up with Mandigora. 12pm: Gumbo calls players around. 12:03pm: The technical department meets and chats while players warm up as a team, with Gerald Maguranyanga thereafter conducting some stretch ups with the players. 12:11pm: Session ends with players circling around to pray. Afternoon session: 4:30pm: The team is now complete with Quincy Antipas, Esrom Nyandoro and Onismo Bhasera joining the team having arrived in the afternoon. 4:57pm: Players divided into three sides to play knockout matches. 5:15pm: Gumbo gives instructions, emphasising a point to goalkeeper George Chigova. The exercise continues until 6pm, but in between Gumbo would stop play to emphasise on speed, accuracy and body language. 6:15pm: Gumbo calls for the end of the day’s business and fitness trainer Mguranyanga takes over as players loosen up. 6:20pm: Maguranyanga takes Warriors for another exercise as they lay down on their backs to shake off for the day. 6:30pm: Players gather for a short prayer and head to the team bus.
Wednesday Morning session: Training began at 10am with Maguranyanga taking the players for warm-up.
10:30am: Players go for ball-work drills while in fours.
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11:00am: The team plays XI-aside two-touch game with player-movement also restricted inside area-zones. The team wearing green bibs looked like the probable line-up to play in Angola, while the one in red appeared to be the reserves.
The two teams comprised the following players: Green XI: Ephraim Mazarura (Gk), Onismor Bhasera (LB), Oscar Machapa (RB), Carlington Nyadombo (CB), Esrom Nyandoro (CB), Archford Gutu and Tinashe Nengomasha (twin DLs), Khama Billiat (LW), Edward Sadomba (RW), Knowledge Musona and Kingston Nkhatha (twin FW).
Red XI: Energy (GK), Vusa Nyoni (LB), Noel Kaseke (RB), Arnold Chaka (CB), Lincoln Zvasiya (CB), Quincy Antipas, Abass Amidu and Liberty Ndadzungira (CMs), Denver Mukamba (LW), Masimba Mambare (RW), Cuthbert Malajila (FW).
Goalkeepers were however rotating.
Prosper Matizanadzo replaced Liberty Ndadzungira and Partson Jaure came in for Masimba Mambare in the Red team. Jaure was deployed to left-back while Nyoni shifts to the defensive linkman role. Takesure Chinyama comes in for Amidu while Mukamba changes to the right flank.
Kaseke changes team to play for the Greens at right-back, with Machapa getting shifted, to be an anchorman, while Gutu was substituted.
Innocent Mapuranga comes in for Kaseke in the Green team. 11:36am: More than two touches are allowed now and no more zonal restrictions.
11:42am: Match ends 4-1 in favour of the Green team who find the net through Gutu, Sadomba and a Musona brace. Malajila scores for the Reds. Gumbo addresses players.
11:53am: Maguranyanga comes back for a warm down 12pm: Training session ends.
12:05pm: swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry gets into the Warriors team bus to wish them good luck in Angola.
Afternoon session: The two teams, the Warriors and Harare City, arrive at the venue at 4pm, immediately after which both coaches name their starting 11 for a friendly match.
Rahman Gumbo calls his first 11 players. Ariel Sibanda got the nod between the posts ahead of five other goalkeepers in camp. Noel Kaseke, Onismor Bhasera, Esrom Nyandoro, Carlington Nyadombo, Nengomasha, Machapa, Archford Gutu, Vusa Nyoni, Kingstone Nkhata and Khama Billiat started.
Within 15 minutes of play, Gutu scores for the warriors while Nathan Ziwini replied for Harare City.
The right flank, where Kaseke, Billiat and Gutu operate, looks good as they create most of the attacks in the first half. At half-time, Gumbo and his assistants call the players for a talk. Just after the breather, Gumbo changes his attack, bringing in Takesure Chinyama and Edward Sadomba.
After an hour of play, Gumbo changes his centre backs, bringing in Innocent Mapuranga and Lincoln Zvasiya, with Arnold Chaka taking up the right-back position.
His final substitution of Quincy Antipas and Cuthbert comes in to attack while Denver Mukamba join the midfield battle. Mazarura, also thrown into the fray. The Warriors win 4-1. The match ends at around 6pm. Gumbo then called his troops and they grouped for a five-minute talk before the training session ends with a prayer. Thursday Thursday afternoon session: 4:30pm: Warriors rest in the morning and arrive for their afternoon session. The scheduled press conference has been cancelled to allow the team to attend a dinner taking places on the same night. The team quickly goes through their paces. 5:00pm: Rahman Gumbo works with defenders and two midfielders — Billiat and Amidu, on ball marking and movement. The strikers engage in shooting techniques from different situations with Peter. 4pm: Training session ends.
Friday afternoon session 4:00pm: The Warriors do not train in the morning and the team arrives at 4pm for their final training session. 4:30pm: Gerald Maguranyanga works with players on fitness. 16:45pm: Team is divided into two sides for a practice match. Gumbo’s team is in yellow and looks like his preferred starting 11 is made up of Sibanda, Kaseke, Bhasera, Nyadombo, Nyandoro, Nengomasha, Machapa, Nyoni, Billiat, Musona and Malajila. Peter picks the other team in white and it has Jani, Mapuranga, Zvasiya, Chaka, Antipas, Gutu, Sadomba, Nkhata, Mukamba, Chinyama and Liberty. 4:50pm: Match starts with Gumbo’s XI taking the game to Peter’s side. 5:05pm: Gumbo stops play to instruct players to put the ball behind the defence when on attack. In the ensuring minutes, play is stopped repeatedly as Gumbo’s team tried set-pieces in the area. 5:20pm: Teams go for half-time. 5:50pm: The match ends and the White team wins. 6:00pm: End of training session.
