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Ellina Mhlanga, Harare Bureau
FORMER Mighty Warriors captain Nomsa “Boyz’’ Moyo has urged the current crop of players to represent the country at this year’s Olympic Games to give their best performance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next month.

The Games run from August 5 to 21. But the football tournament kicks off on August 3.

Speaking on the sidelines of the just-ended Copa Coca-Cola Boys Under-16 and Girls Under-17 football tournament in Gwanda, Moyo                    said the Mighty Warriors should just do their best in Brazil as they compete in the Games for the first time.

“My message to them is they must go there and prove themselves. Display the skills that they have and I wish them all the best,” said Moyo.

The Mighty Warriors, who left the country on Monday for Brazil, are in Group F where they will take on Germany in their first game on August 3.

They will then face Canada three days later and conclude the group stages matches on August 9 against Australia.

Germany are ranked the second best team in the world behind USA while Australia are number five and Canada 10th.

The Mighty Warriors are ranked 93.

With the Mighty Warriors facing such highly ranked opponents Moyo, who is coaching at Young Flying Stars Academy in Bulawayo, said the Rio Olympic Games will be a learning curve for the team.

“I think it will be a good experience for the girls that are going to play in Brazil.  They will learn something and I think even the coaches will learn something from that side despite that maybe we are going to be beaten by Germany or by Australia. But at least they will learn something from that tournament. And maybe it will improve our football in Zimbabwe as well.

“So I will say it is going to be a learning curve for the team. But for the best players that are going to play in Brazil maybe one or two might get a chance to play abroad. And that will be a good experience and inspiration to other players that we are going to groom,” said Moyo.

The senior women’s side is the first football team from this country to take part in the Olympics following their historic qualification last October.
Shadreck Mlauzi’s charges beat West African giants Cameroon in the last qualifying round of the qualifiers to book their place in Rio.

Mlauzi has indicated that they are aiming to go beyond the group stages but it’s not going to be an easy task taking into account their nature of their opponents and the lack of adequate preparations on the Mighty Warriors’ part.

They are expected to play China tomorrow in a friendly match in Rio de Janeiro.