Burkina Faso & Niger Presence Good Challenge For The Warriors Ahead Of Crucial Upcoming Fixtures
On Tuesday the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), confirmed that they have successfully secured two friendly matches for the Warriors against Burkina Faso and Niger to be played in Morocco during the June international break providing a crucial opportunity for the national team to prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in December.
The Warriors will travel to Casablanca to play Burkina Faso on the 6th of June before taking on Niger four days later at the same venue.
These matches are part of the Warriors’ strategic preparations to enhance team cohesion, assess new players, and refine tactics ahead of upcoming important fixtures.
With several new players integrated into the squad, these matches provide an essential platform for building chemistry and understanding among teammates.
Team Cohesion: With a mix of experienced players and emerging talents, these matches will provide an opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate team dynamics and build chemistry among players.
Tactical Assessment:Coach Michael Nees can utilize the two friendly games to experiment with different formations and strategies, allowing the technical team to evaluate the effectiveness of their game plan against diverse playing styles.
Player Evaluation:The matches offer an opportunity to assess new players for the squad, particularly those who have been doing well at club level and are looking for spots in the final squad for the World Cup qualifiers and AFCON finals. Players like Germany-based midfielder Jonah Fabisch, who has become a regular starter at Aue, midfield stronghold Abubakar Moffat, who is doing well at Motril F.C. in Spain, deserve a chance to get assessed alongside Belgian-based forward Bill Antonio.
Match Fitness :Given the competitive nature of international football, these matches will help players regain match fitness and sharpness ahead of the upcoming tournaments.
FIFA Rankings : Friendly matches affect the FIFA rankings. If a team wins in a friendly match, they move up the rankings, depending on whom they beat. For example, a win over Germany has more importance than a win over El Salvador, which is much lower in the rankings.
Opponent Analysis
Burkina Faso: A competitive side with a strong footballing tradition, Burkina Faso is known for its physical style of play and tactical discipline. The Warriors will need to be prepared for a challenging encounter, focusing on maintaining possession and exploiting defensive weaknesses. Burkina Faso is number 64 in the latest World FIFA rankings and 12 in Africa compared to Zimbabwe Warriors’ 116 in the world and 30 in Africa
Niger: While not as historically successful as Burkina Faso, Niger has shown significant improvement in recent years. Their defensive discipline will need the Warriors to be sharp in front of goal and utilize every opportunity they get to ensure victory. Niger are positioned on number 122 in the latest World FIFA rankings 33 in Africa.
