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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
CHAMPIONS Chicken Inn’s captain Danny “Deco” Phiri has put the tendon injury that ruled him out of the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament behind him to focus on recovering in time for his club’s maiden appearance in the Caf Champions League.

Phiri was forced to withdraw from the national team camp just before New Year due to injury. The Warriors are in camp preparing for the forthcoming Chan to be held in Rwanda from January 16 to February 7. The squad leaves on Sunday.

Phiri said he could have travelled with the national team, but doctors decided not to take a risk as that could have aggravated his injury.

Disappointed with missing out on the opportunity to lead the Warriors at a tournament reserved for locally-based players, Phiri wished the national team well.

“Obviously I’m hurt that I’m not going to Rwanda, but I’ll be with the guys in spirit,” said Phiri.

“The thing is I had an ankle problem for the better part of last season and I picked up a tendon injury during the final of the Easycall Cup, which we lost to Highlanders. At first I thought it was my ankle, which was injured because of severe swelling and pain, but when I went for an x-ray, my club doctor discovered that it was the tendon. He recommended that I rest for two weeks to recover but because of national team camp I had to cut the recovery period short.”

Phiri is not the only national team player to miss the trip to Rwanda through injury. His club mate and midfielder Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Hwange goalkeeper Takabva Mawaya and former Triangle attacking midfielder Hillary Bakacheza will be staying home nursing their injuries.

In the absence of Phiri, the Warriors’ coach’s options for the defensive midfield role are FC Platinum-bound Nqobizitha Masuku, Tinashe Chipunza of Triangle and FC Platinum’s Gerald Takwara.

A speedy recovery is what the Gamecocks will be hoping for as they begin their Caf Champions League campaign at home against South African side Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the preliminary round on the weekend of February 12-14, with the return leg set for the weekend of February 26-28.

The 2015 Castle Lager Soccer Star of the Year is confident that the Gamecocks will hold their own against their more fancied opponents.

“I won’t pressure myself into returning to full training. The doctors said I need two weeks to heal and I think if I rest for three weeks, I’ll be fully fit for training. I want to help my club in the Caf Champions League and I believe we’ll do well because we’ve retained the same squad. It should be easy for us to gel with the new guys. With the kind of fighting spirit that we showed last season, I’m sure we can hold our own against Sundowns,” said Phiri.

Chicken Inn have added four players to their squad for the Champions League and 2016 season. Defender Teenage Hadebe and striker Obidiah Tarumbwa join from Highlanders where they were on loan from Bantu Rovers. Moses Demera from Flame Lilly and Physiwell Madhazi from Dongo Sawmills also signed for the Gamecocks.