African Games: U-23 Lions en route to Zimbabwe

The national under 23 selection left the country yesterday for Harare-Zimbabwe where they are expected to play against the local side on Sunday in an encounter counting for the second round qualifiers for the 2015 All Africa Games to take place in Congo later in the year.

The Olympic Lions coach, Pierre Ndjili finally travelled to Harare with a team of 18 players comprising home-based and professional players from the list of the 22 players who took part in the last training camp.

The coach had initially published a list of 44 players who took part in the first training camp in Yaounde which was later streamlined to 22 in the second training camp, essentially made of home-based players.

On paper, Cameroon has the edge over Zimbabwe having won the competition four times; 1991 (in Cairo), 1999 (in Johannesburg), 2003 (in Abuja) and 2007 (in Algiers).

It is against this record that Cameroon was exempted from the first round of the qualifying series alongside other football powerhouses like Ghana, South Africa and Senegal.

However, given the fact that Cameroon prepared at home without facing viable sparring partners could weigh in Zimbabwe’s favour who have been multiplying warm up matches in the build up to the event. Mores so, they took part in the first round qualifiers where shey beat Swaziland 2-0 to clinch a spot in the second round qualifiers.

In addition, Zimbabwe will be playing in front of the home crowd in Harare. Meanwhile, matches of the Zimbabwean championship which was supposed to take place on Sunday have been cancelled to make way for the Zimbabwe-Cameroon encounter. Cameroon will also play host to Zimbabwe in the return leg in a fortnight.