CHINA-BASED Warriors striker Nyasha Mushekwi reckons the current crop of national team players would have qualified for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia had it not been for the country’s disqualification from taking part in the qualifiers.
BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
Mushekwi is part of Kalisto Pasuwa’s Africa Cup of Nations-bound Warriors squad that entertains Tanzania in a friendly match at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon, while other African countries will be in action in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
The former CAPS United marksman, who had a brilliant first season in the Chinese second-tier league side Dalian Yifang, finishing second on the goal-scoring charts with 19 goals, will be looking to carry on his form as the Warriors begin their preparations for the Gabon continental showpiece.
“It’s amazing that we are going to Gabon, but I wasn’t only hoping for Afcon. I was also hoping we would play at the World Cup finals, but now, for some of us at our age, I don’t think it’s going to be possible. It’s an opportunity that every player would like to get, but maybe God knew that we were not going to make it for the World Cup, so maybe He gave us this Afcon opportunity,” Mushekwi told Standardsport ahead of today’s game.
“I think we were definitely going to qualify for the Russia World Cup. Look at South Africa, they are in a group with Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde. I think we can do well or even better against these teams. Personally, I think we have better talent than most of these African countries, just that we lack exposure,” he added.
Zimbabwe were booted out of the World Cup qualifiers last year over a debt amounting to $67 000 owed to former coach Jose “Valinhos” Claudinei from his spell as coach between January and November 2008.
While other countries are playing the third round of the qualifiers, Zimbabwe, who found solace in qualifying for Afcon for the first time in 10 years, play Tanzania in a preparatory friendly.
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The Taifa Stars were eliminated in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers 9-2 on aggregate by the Warriors’ Afcon Group B opponents Algeria.
Mushekwi believes today’s game is huge for the Warriors.
“It’s a big match and a win today will boost the rest of our training camp in preparation for the Afcon finals. We have to keep working because this is not for our country only, but for our careers. I’m sure nobody is going to go into the field thinking it’s just a friendly game against Tanzania because we need a lot of game time since we are preparing for a big tournament,” the 29-year-old striker said.
He spoke glowingly of the current national football team, as well as the Pasuwa-led technical team, also tipping the boys to cause a few upsets in Gabon in a group that also has Senegal and Tunisia.
“We can win every game that we play. We’ve got a very good team and very good coach. I just hope we will perform quite well during the tournament and surprise many because I know we have already been written off,” he said.
After missing the last two qualification matches, Mushekwi looks set to lead the Zimbabwe attack today.