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Cyprian Mandenge

Sports Reporter
SABLES coach Cyprian Mandenge has blended youth and experience in naming his training squad for the Africa Cup which also serves as the 2019 World Cup qualifier against Senegal in Dakar on June 24.

The coach yesterday named a 30-member squad which has seven foreign-based players.

The squad, which goes into camp this weekend, includes South Africa-based Lawrence Cleminson, Witness Mandizha, Connor Pritchard, Hilton Mudariki, Brian Nyaude, Australia based Biselele Tshamala and German-based Ngoni Chibuwe.

However, the coach has kept faith in the bulk of the local based players, who featured in a friendly match against Zambia last weekend.
Sables team manager Sam Samu said as part of the rebuilding efforts they have drawn most of the players from the local league.

“We have called into the camp players with a strategy in mind. You will notice that we mostly have young players and are blending that with a bit of experience.

”We also have a large contingent of local players in there. We need to enhance our very competitive intercity league with a high-rugby playing level for our local players.

“We need to build the Sables brand and bring back the good old days when Zimbabweans had confidence in our ability.

“We are building a style of play that is uniquely Zimbabwean. We can only do this if we start their style from grassroots. So we have asked the Union to help us in this regard.

“For now what we will do is put up a team structure and identify the kind of players whose style of play suits what we want and those that can be taught ‘new tricks so that we go into battle armed with what we want to put out there,” he said.

Zimbabwe begin their campaign against the West Africans before they engage Namibia in Windhoek on July 15.

The team will then host Kenya at Hartsfield on July 22 and Tunisia a week later in the capital.

The Sables will complete their programme with an away match in Uganda on August 5.

Samu said the squads will differ with each opponent.

“In camp we will be watching out for suitability to the pattern of play against the next team we are going to play. This time around it’s Senegal.

“They are very physical and we will need play that disrupts their forward play. We are obviously playing at their home ground so it would help if we focus on the match which means our forwards have to be experienced, able to play with focus without paying attention to crowd taunting.

“One of our hookers, Graham Cochrane is also a backup prop, so we will execute our plans in Dakar,” said Samu.

Squad
Forwards: Denford Mutamangira, Lawrence Cleminson, Irvine  Nduwa, Brian Makamure, Tolerance Zishe, Graham Cochrane, Takudzwa  Bvunzawabaya, Brian Nyaude, Witness Mandizha, Fortune Chipendo, George Saungweme, Takudzwa Mandiwanza, Conner Pritchard, Biselele Tshamala, Lucky Sithole, Osborne Muhambi,.
Backs:  Hilton Mudariki, Scotty Jones, Joshua Gando, Tichafara Makwanya, Lenience Tambwera, Gideon Muyambo, Tarisai Mugaviri, Dan Capsopoulos, Boyd Rouse, Ngoni Chibuwe, Stephan Hunduza, Takudzwa Kumadiro, Tadius Hwata, Tinashe Gwisai.