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The Young Warriors, third place finishers in last year’s competition, could only manage a point when they came from behind to draw 1-1 with losing finalists Namibia at the same venue last Friday.
Coach Taurai Mangwiro’s boys played second fiddle to an organised and disciplined Namibian outfit on that night but to their credit the Young Warriors did not give up after they fell to an early second half strike from winger Hendrick Somaeb.

Buffaloes striker Roy Mwenga then rose from the bench to head home the equaliser.
But this afternoon, the Young Warriors will go into battle knowing that they cannot afford another share of the spoils against a bubbly Angola who are buoyed by their 1-0 triumph over Madagascar in Group D’s opening game.

The Angolans now top Group D and with only one team each from the four groups in the competition advancing to the semi-finals, the Young Warriors class of 2011 knows they could become the first Zimbabwe team in a very long time to fail to proceed to the tournament’s knock-out stages.
Mangwiro, while admitting that his team had struggled for their rhythm against Namibia, also felt the result was “a wake up call for the players and now they know that there are no easy games ”.

The Young Warriors mentor, wary of the Angolan threat, also revealed that he would dump the 3-5-2 system that failed to yield a win against the pacy Namibians and use a flat back four of skipper Edwin Nkomo, Proud Zireni, Kalongonda and Mahachi.
Although not happy with his attack of Trevor Mutero and Gabriel Nyoni, Mangwiro said he would only make one change to the team that started against Namibia. “We are not changing much in terms of the team but it’s the formation that we will use which has changed and we hope to tighten our defence. “

The Monomotapa coach said although the Angolans were on a high after winning their first game and topping the group, “they could be brought down”.
The Angolans will once again look up to their steady centre back and captain Panzo Elidio, midfielder Afosno Eddie and forwards                   Almedia Valdemar and Paciencia Cristovao for inspiration.
Mangwiro also noted with concern that four of his players had forced the intermittent stoppage of their game against Namibia because of cramps. “We also have Zireni complaining of an ankle, even

Trevor has not fully recovered and Chitiyo had a swollen shin”.
The big question this afternoon will be on whether the Young Warriors, rated one of the            pre-tournament favourites, can live to their billing and ensure they remain in the hunt for a semi-final place.

The Young Warriors are not short on players who have had a feel of this tournament which the Cosafa region has set out to become a platform where “African legends are born”.
From the trio of Denver Mukamba, Nakamba and Mahachi who were voted Zimbabwe’s most influential players, the Young Warriors have managed to retain the latter duo while Dynamos midfielder Mukamba has since graduated to the Warriors.