Zimbabwe national football team head coach, Kaitano Tembo, has expressed confidence that his side will deliver a strong performance when they face the Nigeria Super Eagles in the semi-final of the Unity Cup on Tuesday at The Valley in London, with a place in the final at stake against either Jamaica or India.
The Warriors and the Super Eagles have shared closely fought encounters in recent meetings, with both of their last two clashes ending in draws.
However, Tembo believes the upcoming meeting presents a fresh challenge that both sides must approach on its own terms.
Tembo In Buoyant Mood
The Zimbabwe coach insisted his players must focus fully on the present assignment rather than past results, while stressing the importance of preparation and commitment.
“The most important thing is for us to approach each game as they come, one game at a time,” Tembo said ahead of the game.
“I think this is a different game, a different scenario, different situation as well. We need to try, and prepare well, and forget about the previous results.
“We have to go out there and make sure that we give our all to win, and not dwell on the previous results.
“It’s a huge occasion for us, coming here, making our debut in the Unity Cup. We will try and make a statement. We want our fans to come out and support us. That will encourage the players to do well, and perform to the best of their ability”
Preparations In Full Swing
Zimbabwe have already begun final preparations for the clash, having arrived in London on Sunday after spending three days training in Birmingham.
Tembo also acknowledged that his squad is not yet at full strength, but praised the attitude of the players currently in camp and remained optimistic about their readiness.
“Well, I think preparation has been going on well, although we don’t have the full compliments of all the invited players yet,” added Tembo.
“The rest of the players are flying in today (Monday). I think due to the tournament not falling within the FIFA window, most of the players couldn’t come on time.
“Nevertheless, I have been impressed with their attitude, the mentality that I have seen in our training sessions from the players we have in camp at the moment.
“We are looking forward to the games. I think we can only promise to give our best, and play entertaining football. We urge our fans to come out and support us, hopefully, we can make them proud.”
