Warriors Amble Into The Bubble As They Step Up Preparations For Africa Cup

Zimbabwe Warriors began their Africa Cup of nations preparations on Thursday with 22 of their 30-man squad reporting to Cresta Lodge in Harare for meetings and Covid-19 testing.

All local based players, the technical team including African based contingent of Talbert Shumba, Gerald Takwara, Kudakwashe Mahachi, Knox Mutizwa, Ishmael Wadi, Temptations Chiwunga (South Africa), Prince Dube, Never Tigere, Bruce Kangwa (Tanzania), Thabani Kamusoko and Takudzwa Chimwemwe (Zambia) are already in the bio-bubble.

Only Onismor Bhasera is expected to arrive today after his plane was postponed yesterday due to bad weather.

Spain-based goalie Martin Mapisa is also expected to join the bubble this afternoon in preparation for the beginning of training on the 26th of December.

Teenage Hadebe who has been in the country for a while after the end of Major League Soccer season in November is at home attending to a family emergency and will join camp by boxing day.

Seven from the 25 players in camp in Harare will be dropped before the team departs for Cameroon on the 29th of December.

Admiral Muskwe, David Moyo, Jordan Zemura, Tino Kadewere as well as captain Knowledge Musona have been given additional days with their clubs and will link up with the rest of the squad in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon where they will set up a temporary camp before moving to Bafoussam some 300km outside of Yaounde where they will be based for their opening group matches.

The Warriors are expected to play two friendly matches before leaving Yaounde, with Sudan already lined up on the 2nd of January.

They will kick-start their group matches against Senegal on the 10th of January.

Zimbabwe are in Group B Along side Senegal, Malawi and Guinea.