Peter Ndlovu salutes Mapeza’s Warriors

By Petros Kausiyo

Legendary former Zimbabwe captain Peter Ndlovu has saluted Norman Mapeza’s men and now wants Zifa to keep the current squad intact even if they fail to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals.

Ndlovu was in the big crowd at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday and watched the Warriors power to a deserved 3-0 victory over Liberia in their penultimate Group A qualifier. That victory helped the Warriors move into second position with eight points, one behind new leaders Mali.

The Eagles had wrestled away top spot after thumping Cape Verde 3-0 in Bamako on Saturday night. Mali now appear favourites to clinch the Group A ticket should they overcome Liberia in Monrovia in their last assignment.

Despite the Warriors’ chances now being dependent on Liberia doing them a huge favour and beating or holding Mali, while they also beat Cape Verde in Praia, Ndlovu said he had been following the senior team’s progress since Mapeza was installed as the substantive coach.

After goals by the midfield trio of Willard Katsande, Ovidy Karuru, and Khama Billiat ensured the Warriors took the race for the Group A ticket to the wire, Ndlovu, easily the most successful senior national team captain gave his verdict of Sunday’s game.

He also talked about the Class of 2011, which he also backed to do well in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Ndlovu said he was happy to note that Method Mwanjali and his troops had shown a lot of character “to withstand the pressure” and post a big win despite not playing some of their best football against Liberia.

He also expressed satisfaction with “the young talent at Mapeza’s disposal.

“There are so many talented young players, who have come through into the national team now and they deserve more.”

The former Coventry City, Sheffield United and Birmingham forward also acknowledged that the Warriors could have won by an even bigger margin.

But he insisted that what was more significant was that they had secured a win and the crucial points.

“We are happy with the result of course the boys did well, we cannot ask for more… if on any other day with our shooting boots on, like Edward Sadomba, who is doing very well, should have scored two or three goals.

“But look, a win is a win, how it comes is irrelevant, I think it is a build-up to greater things and other nations are now starting to respect us and also believing that we can do it,” Ndlovu said.

Ndlovu, capped 100 times for the senior team, said the Warriors’ resurgence, which has seen them post three straight wins in as many assignments since June, was testimony of the hard work that Mapeza and his technical team is doing.

“We are rebuilding on our lost pride and today it’s an example of what Norman has instilled in these boys so I think we can do it from here and any game, whether it counts or doesn’t count, we just have to keep winning it and take it game by game.

“I think once we win every game that comes, we will climb up the ranks but the most important thing was getting in there and we won. Unfortunately Mali and I think our chances are still not the best but it’s in the books that we won and we have to go out there (Cape Verde) and win again”.

Ndlovu also felt that Mali’s triumph over Cape Verde had added pressure on the Warriors once the result from Bamako filtered through to Harare. But he saluted them for taking it in their stride and still dispatching a Lone Star side that put up a strong fight in the second period.

“I think the boys showed us that they have got character even when the chips were down and this is what we need. There is a lot of pressure when you are playing for your country and I am talking from experience whereby you know you have got to win”.

Peter also paid tribute to the fans that not only came in their numbers but ensured there was no booing even when the Liberians started the second half strongly and threatened to come back into the game, forcing goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini into some fine saves.

In a message largely directed to the Zifa board that was once divided over Mapeza, and tasked his brother Madinda and Mapeza, to be co-coaches for the game against Cape Verde at the same venue last October, Peter said it was imperative that everybody put their full weight behind the incumbent coach.

“Credit must also go to the supporters …they were fantastic and I think that is how it should be whether we win or lose. But, I think putting a lot things aside we have seen what Norman is doing and what he is trying to build so let’s go support him, we don’t want people who come and start calling for people’s heads here.

“If the set up is like this, let us support the system, even if we do lose games, we don’t want people asking for someone to leave. Norman has been given a job and he needs support from all angles, this is national pride at stake and as long as we win each game as it comes then we are fine,” Ndlovu said.

Former Warriors coach Marc Duvillard was also at the giant stadium.

And the Aces Youth Academy director liked what he saw but took at swipe at the authorities in charge of the National Stadium for the pathetic state of the pitch during Sunday’s game. The Warriors players were also not amused with the hard and bumpy surface that made life difficult for both teams as they struggled with their first touch.

Duvillard said there was a need by the stadium management to ensure the pitch was in good condition that would also help the players feel at home.

“We played very well in the first half, we were supposed to score more goals, maybe 3-0 and we were lucky not concede a goal after they received a good chance (via their captain Anthony Laffor).

“Then we started very badly in the second half because they became very difficult, they changed the tactics and put in one more striker but we re-organised a little bit but we were supposed to play better.

“But I was not happy with the state of the pitch, for me it is not acceptable, the quality of the pitch, it is very bad, the boys could not play the way they wanted, we were supposed to have ball possession on the floor and we cannot play these high balls but the pitch was forcing them to try the high balls and that is terrible,” Duvillard said.

But, after getting the thumbs up from their former captain and their former coach, the Warriors will prepare for their last assignment against Cape Verde knowing that that they are on track. And they could very well gatecrash into the Nations Cup party to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.