Sports Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s Warriors will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign against Sierra Leone on Thursday, with both teams dealing with injury-related changes ahead of the Group E opener in Morocco.
The match will be played at El Jadida Stadium in El Jadida, a coastal city 96 km southeast of Casablanca in Morocco with kick-off scheduled for 8pm Zimbabwean time.
Warriors coach Ramon Catala has been intensifying preparations in Morocco as Zimbabwe seek a positive start to a qualifying campaign that also includes the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
The Zimbabwean squad has been training in Morocco, with the technical team focusing on tactical organisation, sharpness and team cohesion ahead of the encounter.
However, Zimbabwe have suffered a number of injury setbacks. Forwards Tino Kadewere and Prince Dube were ruled out after picking up knocks, while Liverpool defender Isaac Mabaya has also subsequently withdrawn from the squad because of injury. Washington Navaya and Dynamos winger Leroy Mavunga were called up as replacements for the injured forwards.
Sierra Leone have also been forced to make changes to their squad.
The Leone Stars lost US-based defender Emmanuel Samadia to injury, prompting coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa to recall Middlesbrough defender Alex Bangura.
Bangura returns to the national team after a four-year absence, having last played for Sierra Leone in 2022 during a 2-0 defeat by the Democratic Republic of Congo in a friendly in Morocco. He previously made his international debut against Togo in March 2022.
The defender’s return gives the Leone Stars another option as they prepare for their first competitive matches under the French coach.
Sierra Leone’s squad is largely made up of players based outside the country, including several playing in England and elsewhere in Europe. The team arrived in Morocco on Sunday and has established its training camp in El Jadida.
The Warriors training in Morocco ahead of Thursday’s crucial encounter
The Leone Stars will be looking to end a difficult run in AFCON qualifying. They failed to qualify for the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast and the 2025 finals in Morocco, and their new coach will be tasked with guiding them back to the continental competition.
Recent form has provided mixed signals for both teams. Sierra Leone’s latest matches included a defeat to Azerbaijan in a friendly, a World Cup qualifying loss to Burkina Faso and a 2-1 victory over Djibouti.
The Warriors will return to Zimbabwe after Thursday’s match to host the DR Congo on September 28 at the refurbished National Sports Stadium in Harare.
The stadium has been approved to host international football again after a major rehabilitation programme, ending Zimbabwe’s prolonged period of playing home internationals outside the country.
