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MINISTER ANDREW LANGA

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Warriors have been urged to be ruthless and crush visiting Tanzania whom they face  in the second leg of the African Cup of Nations first round qualifier at the giant National Sports Stadium tomorrow afternoon.The finals will be held in Morocco next year.

The call was made by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Andrew Langa yesterday as he also made a passionate plea to Zimbabweans to throng the match venue in Harare and rally behind the national team until the final whistle.

Taifa Stars stunned the Ian “Dibango” Gorowa-coached Warriors 1-0 in the first leg in Dar es Salaam two weeks ago.

Zimbabwe needs an outright win bigger than 1-0 scoreline to progress to the next stage of the qualifiers without going through the laborious extra time and possibly a penalty shoot out in the event they draw level after regulation time tomorrow.  A draw is therefore not good enough.

“The boys should and must be ruthless on Sunday, no two ways about it. They must just crush the Tanzanians and as a ministry, we are fully behind them. They should know that. Personally I will be there at the National Sports Stadium and I urge our fellow and patriotic Zimbabweans to fill that venue to the rafters,” said Minister Langa.

Meanwhile, former Lancashire Steel and Dynamos midfield dynamo Justice Majabvi has warned the Warriors against complacency at home but instead treat the Taifa Stars with due respect as they have the potential of embarrassing them.

Speaking to Chronicle Sport yesterday from his base in Vietnam where he turns out for Vicem Hai Phong FC in the V-League, Majabvi was however, optimistic that the boys will prevail over the Tanzanians.

“I don’t know most of the players in the squad but what I want to say to them is that the match will not be an easy one, they need to work extra hard. They will win though,” said Majabvi.

He said the visitors’ biggest undoing will be to try and defend their slender 1-0 lead.

Like Minister Langa, Majabvi called on the nation to throng the giant stadium and make it a cauldron that will be intimidating to the visitors.

“Good luck to the boys,” said Majabvi.

Winners of this first round tie will face the winner between fellow Cosafa member Mozambique and South Sudan with winners going through to the group stage where they will be in Group F with Zambia, Cape Verde and Niger.

Zimbabwe will be seeking a third appearance at the finals at which they have failed to go beyond the group stages on the two occasions they have made it.