The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
MAN of the moment, Logarusic ‘Loga’ Zdravko is away on holiday, but it is not long before the Croat gets back to the trenches of African football competition as he now shifts attention to the CHAN finals set for mid-next month in Cameroon.
The tourney, which is exclusively reserved for players who ply their trade in their domestic leagues, is now set for January 16 and February 7 next year.
It will be held in four cities in the West African country.
Zimbabwe is in Group A together with Cameroon, Mali and Burkina Faso.
In the first two competitive matches as Warriors’ coach, in which Loga came up against continent heavyweights Algeria, the Croat did not disappoint.
Loga endeared himself with local fans, including those who thought his appointment was a mistake, after the amazing comeback at the National Sports Stadium in Harare to hold Algeria 2-2 after going to the breather trailing 1-2.
The rescheduled 2020 CHAN finals, getting underway in Yaoundé, Cameroon, against hosts Cameroon on January 16 will be his next test of character.
Warriors’ team manager, Welly Mpandare, said local top-flight league sides had been eagerly waiting for the resumption of training.
“We were supposed to have gone into camp but we saw it prudent to give the two-week club training period so that when they (players) eventually come into camp, they would have gained some level of match fitness,” said Mpandare.
He said there will not be major changes to the selected squad, except for a few players who moved to foreign clubs.
“The coach is currently away on holiday, but we have already done the team selection. There will not be major changes to the squad that was announced except for a few players who recently moved like Talbert Shumba,” said Mpandare.
As the clock ticks towards the CHAN tournament, more pressure is piling on Zifa to facilitate adequate preparations for the national team.
Given the fact that Zimbabwe’s domestic football has been on hold since last year, the resumption of training by top-flight league clubs is a major boost to the national team CHAN preparations.
Cameroon are making their fourth appearance in the tournament but they have never gone beyond the quarter-finals, while 2016 runners-up Mali and Burkina Faso will be making their third appearance in the tournament.
Zimbabwe, who finished fourth in 2014, will be participating for the fourth time.
