IN-FORM Warriors forwards Tawanda Chirewa and Bill Antonio are set to bounce back into the Warriors fold for the team's back-to-back 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month.
Zimbabwe, bottom of Group C in a six-team qualifying group, will host third-placed Benin in South Africa on March 17 before travelling to fifth-placed Nigeria the following week.
The other group C members are South Africa, Rwanda and Lesotho.
An insider at Zifa yesterday told NewsDay Sport that Warriors coach Michael Nees will not tinker much with the squad that has served him well so far.
The official said there will be a few additions to the squad that qualified to the Africa Cup of Nations finals, with Chirewa and Antonio set to be the only major inclusions.
Chirewa was part of Nees's squad, but an injury made him miss the last Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
Antonio missed the entire Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign due to an injury.
The two forwards have recovered and are doing well for their respective clubs.
- Ndiraya backs Antonio to impress in Belgium
- AGELESS MATEMA SILENCES DEMBARE
- Inside sport: A derby with question marks
- SUPER SUNDAY!….as Dembare visits Barbourfields
Keep Reading
Antonio plays for Belgium's league side KV Mechelen while Chirewa is at League One side Huddersfield from English Premier League side Wolves.
"The coach is still working on his list but already he has the majority of players with the profiles he wants," the source said.
"There won't be many changes... you know the usual suspects, those are there on the list. He is following all the players especially in European leagues and conversations are on. He is happy with the progress being made by Tawanda and Bill since they recovered from their injuries. From our conversations, he has high regard for the two players and they are part of his plans and the World Cup qualifying project."
Chirewa, in particular, has been impressive since moving to Huddersfield, claiming two successive man-of-the-match medals.
He was on fire on Saturday, helping Huddersfield to a 2-1 win over Barnsley in the English League One.
The 21-year-old who was involved in both goals, was also named Huddersfield’s best player of the match last week in the goalless draw against Reading.
It was his first game for the club.
Chirewa is at Huddersfield on a six months loan deal running until the end of the season.
The source at Zifa said Nees was also interested in including the local players into his squad, and he will be at Rufaro Stadium on Saturday for the Castle Challenge Cup match between Dynamos and Simba Bhora, a game that acts as the season's curtain-raiser.
The season proper is scheduled to kick off a fortnight later. The Premier Soccer League is yet to announce the start date.
"The coach also wants to have a look at the local players so the Castle Challenge Cup will be key to assessing players. "Unfortunately, we are not very sure when the local league is starting but the coach is also interested in watching at least two rounds of matches before making his final list. The letters to invite players should reach clubs at least two weeks before the match but we won't leave it that late.
"The coach wants to give the local lads a chance. It's a difficult situation because most of the players will still be in a phase of gaining match fitness, but like I said, he wants to give everyone a chance," the source added.
Khama Billiat, Walter Musona and Godknows Murwira, all now playing for promoted Scottland FC, were regulars in Nees's squad in the Afcon qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Zifa is still looking for a stadium to host Benin.
The Zifa official said the match will be played in South Africa.
Just like in the Afcon qualifiers, Zimbabwe will be hosting their matches in foreign land because the country does not have a Caf-certified stadium to host international matches.
A delegation including Nees, Zifa Fifa forward manager Kudzai Chitima and Zifa board member Brighton Ushendibaba was in South Africa earlier this month to inspect some prospective venues to host the game.
"We are still looking for a venue. The picture will be clearer this week. But the game will be played in South Africa. Venues in PE [Port Elizabeth], Durban, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit are being considered," the official added.
It was widely expected that the Warriors would host Benin at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, where the team sealed their Afcon qualification against Kenya last year and enjoyed a lot of Zimbabwean support from fans who are based in that country and those who crossed the border to back the team.
The Peter Mokaba Stadium is closer to the Beitbridge border and would have been the best option, but the Polokwane venue is unavailable as South Africa has chosen the stadium to host their match against Lesotho.
With all Zimbabwe's stadiums failing to meet the Caf requirements to host international matches, the Warriors have already used Orlando Stadium in South Africa, Mandela National Stadium in Uganda as well as Huye Stadium in Rwanda for their home matches.
Renovations at the National Sports Stadium, the country’s only realistic shot at hosting international matches, have stalled and may not be ready for the rest of the year.
