Zimbabwe Warriors To Play Swaziland

The Nations Championship is a tournament designed for locally based national teams players. The talented CAPS United player Mwanjali will lead the Warriors in Swaziland. He was also the captain when Zimbabwe won the COSAFA Cup which the country hosted last year.

Swaziland coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba has warned Zimbabwe that the tie will not be a walk in the park for the visitors. “Let me first say that fortunately I know Zimbabwe very well from for some time now since I won our first Cosafa Cup in 2002 with Bafana-Bafana as coach,” Mashaba said in a telephone interview from Mbabane. “It is going to be a humdinger.”

Mashaba said he had a lot of respect for Zimbabwe who at regional level have shown their prowess with a record four triumphs in the regional Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup. “Zimbabwe, I think is at an advantage. They have a plus but that does not mean it will be a walk in the park.”

Meanwhile, Mashaba said he is also hoping for a positive result to avoid another early exit as he strives to build a Swaziland side that will challenge for honors at a regional level starting with CHAN qualification this year.

Swaziland’s last 2009 CHAN qualifying campaign ended at the hands of another regional giant this time Zambia in the preliminary stage on the road to the inaugural tournament held last year in Cote d’Ivoire.

Swaziland drew 1-1 with Zambia in the first leg in before losing 3-0 in Lusaka to bow out 4-1 on aggregate.