Coach Michael Nees from Warriors remains optimistic that the team will surpass the group round of this year's Africa Cup of Nations tournament despite being placed in a challenging group.
The Zimbabwe men's national football team has been placed in Group B along with Egypt, the reigning champions, South Africa, the previous winners, and Angola, which made it to the quarterfinals in the last tournament. Nees, who participated in the draw ceremony in Morocco, is excited about the upcoming three matches.
”Three teams from the Cosafa region will face each other. There are no surprises, as they're familiar with each other. They'll once again face South Africa's Bafana Bafana, and will also clash with skillful Angola, who employ a distinct playing style. And then there's Egypt, North African powerhouses and four-time champions. They will certainly bring their top team and star players to Morocco. In my view, this is a very well-balanced and tough group," Nees said.
The Warriors will start with a game against Egypt and conclude with a match against Bafana Bafana.
"Our first match will be against Egypt in Aghadir, our second against Angola and the final group game against Bafana Bafana, all of which will take place in Marrakech, where we'll be based throughout the tournament. We must be ready to face our competition from the very start, but with thorough preparation, I'm confident we have the potential to achieve our goal. Like any other team, we aim to move on to the round of 16. We respect our opponents, but we also have faith in our abilities and skills to attain this objective," said Nees.
This tournament will establish new benchmarks for the AFCON, I am confident, and the circumstances and infrastructures will be reasonably fair and equitable for each team.