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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE return of winger Khama Billiat for the reverse fixture of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Ghana at the National Sports Stadium today is expected to provide the Warriors with creative options they missed on Saturday.
Billiat missed Zimbabwe’s 1-3 loss to the Black Stars through suspension.

The offensive Kaizer Chiefs winger is expected to return to the Warriors’ starting line-up, giving interim coach Norman Mapeza more attacking options.

Ghana go into today’s match bubbling with confidence after their home victory courtesy of goals by Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey and Andre Ayew.

Captain Knowledge Musona scored the Warriors’ consolation goal from the penalty spot early in the second-half.

This afternoon, the bruised Warriors, whose hopes of progressing to the next stage of the qualifiers got dimmer after Saturday’s defeat, will be hoping to end a winless home streak, which dates back to September 22, 2019, when they beat Lesotho 3-1 in a Chan qualifier.

Since then, the Warriors have registered draws in two Afcon qualifiers against Botswana (0-0) and Algeria (2-2), and a 0-2 loss to Zambia in a dead rubber.

Last month the Warriors drew 0-0 against South Africa in a Group G World Cup qualifier.

Bafana Bafana top Group G with seven points, followed by Ghana on six points, while Ethiopia sit on three points and the Warriors anchor the group with one point from three games.

The Warriors will go into this afternoon’s clash without proper training after arriving in the country yesterday afternoon, while Ghana landed on Sunday evening.

Billiat will be expected to play a key role in unlocking the Black Stars’ backline and create scoring opportunities for the strikers, who clearly struggled to penetrate the Ghanaian defence in Cape Coast.

In the build-up to Saturday’s match, Warriors’ legend Zenzo Moyo spoke about the need to include creative players in the line-up.

“I think we have to fix the problem on the creative side. I think we have few creative players and I ask myself when was the last time a national team striker came one-on-one with a goalkeeper after being set up by a midfielder,” said Moyo.

The majority of Warriors’ midfielders are defensive, with Billiat, Kuda Mahachi and Perfect Chikwende being their only creative players.

Midfielders Blessing Sarupinda, Farai Madhanaga, Kelvin Madzongwe, Marshall Munetsi, Never Tigere, Marvellous Nakamba and Thabani Kamusoko are all defensive minded.

Chikwende was thrown into the fray in the absence of Billiat in Ghana and hardly created a scoring opportunity for the 83 minutes he played before being hauled off for Mahachi.

Mapeza also went into the game with a defensive approach with seven defensive players and three attackers in a 3-5-2 formation.

He was hoping to catch Ghana on breaks, but that formation failed.

Kelvin Madzongwe, Chikwende, Nakamba, Kamusoko and Jordan Zemura were the midfielders used.

Tendai Darikwa also returned to the starting line-up, forming a back three with Marshall Munetsi and veteran Onismor Bhasera, while Musona and Mutizwa played as twin strikers.

For today’s game, Mapeza might go for the natural central defensive pair of Teenage Hadebe and Alec Mudimu compared to the makeshift backline he played in Ghana.

Munetsi’s strength is in midfield and playing him in central defence takes away the glee in him. Bhasera should be competing at left-back and not in central defence.

WARRIORS SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Martin Mapisa (Zamora CF), Talbert Shumba (Free State Stars), Washington Arubi (Marumo Gallants)

Defenders: Alec Mudimu (Torpedo Kutaisi), Brendan Galloway, (Pymouth Aygle ) Bruce Kangwa (Azam FC), Jordan Zemura (AFC Bournemouth), Onismor Bhasera (SuperSport United), Rahman Kutsanzira (FC Platinum), Teenage Hadebe (Houston Dynamo), Tendayi Darikwa (Wigan)

Midfielders: Blessing Sarupinda (Sekhukhune), Farai Madhanaga (Marumo Gallants), Kelvin Madzongwe (FC Platinum), Khama Billiat (Kaizer Chiefs), Kuda Mahachi (SuperSport), Marshall Munetsi (Stade de Reims), Never Tigere (Azam) Marvellous Nakamba, (Aston Villa), Perfect Chikwende (Simba FC), Thabani Kamusoko (Zesco)
Strikers: Knowledge Musona (Al Tai), Knox Mutizwa (Golden Arrows), Terrence Dzvukamanja (Orlando Pirates)
— @ZililoR