Pagels wants more Warriors friendlies

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WARRIORS’ interim coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels says he needs a friendly match four days before June’s return World Cup qualifier against Egypt.

WARRIORS’ interim coach Klaus-Dieter Pagels says he needs a friendly match four days before June’s return World Cup qualifier against Egypt.

BY MICHAEL MADYIRA

Although the Egypt clash in Harare would be a dead rubber with Zimbabwe out of contention to qualify for next year’s World Cup, Pagels is readying his squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Zimbabwe hosts the Pharaohs on June 9, while five days earlier would be a Fifa international friendly match day.

After playing Egypt, Zimbabwe face Guinea, away, seven days later.

Pagels, who has always bemoaned lack of friendly internationals, has emphasised that his squad needs to spend more time together.

Following his appointment to the Warriors helm late last year, the German has been in charge of only two matches with last week’s away 2-1 defeat to Egypt being his first competitive assignment after a friendly against Botswana last month which the warriors won 2-1.

“Any opponent is welcome for a friendly match,” said Pagels.

“I need the friendly match four days before we play Egypt because all the players including European-based guys should be present. I cannot just use locals since I am trying to make the boys gel. My idea is to put to test my tactics with all the boys present,” Pagels said.

Soon after the trip to Guinea, the Warriors will shift focus to the African Nations Championships (Chan) where only local players would be used for the tournament to be staged in South Africa early next year.

They will kick off their Chan qualifying campaign at home against the preliminary round winner between Mauritius and Comoros in the first round on the weekend of June 21 to 23, before the return leg two weeks later.

If they manage to get past the first round, they will meet the winner between Zambia and Botswana in the second and final round over two legs in July and August.

World Cup qualifying matches will be completed in September as Zimbabwe host neighbours Mozambique.

After that Pagels, will only have to make use of international match days in October and November for friendlies with a squad of both locals and foreign-based players.

The draw for Afcon 2015 will be conducted in Johannesburg in January next year, with qualification matches within 12 groups played inside a crammed three-month period between September and November next year.

March 5 and August 13 2014 would be an international friendly match day as Pagels will be gearing for the Afcon tournament which is now his top priority.

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