Zimbabwe: Hadebe Expects Tough Assignment

WARRIORS steely defender, Teenage Hadebe, expects a tough assignment against the Zebras but believes his team should still have enough pedigree, to get the result they want.

The two neighbours clash in the penultimate round of the 2021 AFCON qualifiers at the Obedi Itani Chilume this evening.

The match gets underway at 6pm.

With Botswana players having been promised hefty allowances, should they pick the maximum points today, Hadebe said it could be a testing evening for the visitors.

However, he feels they can still find a way to ensure they leave with the victory which, if the result between Zambia and Algeria go in their favour, could see them booking a place in Cameroon next January. He said although they were missing some of their key players, including Marvelous Nakamba and Khama Billiat, they have the players who can deliver.

"It's obviously going to be a tough game. Football has changed, and there are no longer any small teams on this continent," said Hadebe.

"We are aware of that fact but we are here to look for positive results.

"If you look at the team we have, at the moment, I am sure you will realise that there are many key players missing but l believe we are stronger than Botswana.

"Football is like that always, at one point, or the other, someone is missing but the players who are available should do the job. "What matters, at the end of the day, is the result. We have to realise that this is a qualification game and we need the discipline, and the focus.

"But, as far as we know, we have to win the match, the pressure is definitely on the home team."

He said while incentives were important, the pride of representing your country, in such matches, was always a bigger factor.

"I also understand that they (Botswana) have been promised some hefty bonuses, should they beat us in this match," he said.

"That gives them some extra pressure.

"We don't care about that and we have to play our normal game.

"We should do our best to frustrate them and, if we frustrate them, we know they are dead. "We need to score firstandthatwillpilepressureonthem and, if we do that, I tell you we can score more because they will be frustrated." This will be Hadebe's second game, in Botswana, having last played here, while turning out for South Africa's glamour club, Kaizer Chiefs in a C A F Champions League game, six years ago.

"I enjoyed the game and I hope to hit the high notes, this time around, as well," he said.

"I am happy with the form that I have picked in the Turkish top-flight league. "I have worked hard at training and, for about three or four consecutive weeks, I have made the Team of the Week and I can't wait to transform that

club form to the national team." Zimbabwe could seal their place at the A F C O N finals, with a win against the Zebras, should Zambia fail to beat

already-qualified Algeria at home. The Warriors are second on the table, with five points to their name,

five behind runaway leaders Algeria. Midfielder, Kuda Mahachi, also

expects a tough match.

"By all fairness, the match we are

facing is tough. Remember we drew the reverse fixture at home last year inNovember,"he said."The absence of some of our key players is definitely a setback on our part.

"These are the kind of games that you will need all the key players for the cause.

"But, we are talking of qualification here, every player in the team knows the importance of this match.

"It's tough playing such key matches, away from home but, then, these are the games in which teams need to show their pedigree.

"We are going to throw everything into the fixture and see where we will be, after the 90 minutes. "Most of the talking should be done in the field of play."

This article originally appeared on The Herald Zimbabwe

Photo: The Herald Zimbabwe