Zimbabwe’s Young Warriors are stepping up preparations for their 2027 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations and Olympic qualifying campaign, with Mauritius providing the first test of their ambitions.
The Young Warriors will face Mauritius at the National Sports Stadium on Wednesday as they begin their qualification journey with coach Marc Sanchez emphasising both development and competitive progress.
Sanchez said the technical team was satisfied with the players’ preparations and attitude ahead of the encounter.
“We had our training sessions, and I am happy with the behaviour and performance of the players and also the help of my staff. I think we are well prepared.”
The coach said the Under-23 programme was primarily aimed at developing players capable of making the step up to the senior national team.
“I told the guys the first day that, first of all, our first objective is to be here and help them develop to be in the senior team in the future.”
However, Sanchez said the Young Warriors would also be seeking to advance through the qualifying stages, with the team believing it has the quality to compete.
“So this is the first objective we have as an Under-23 team, and also the second one is to try to pass rounds because I believe we are competitive.”
The encounter against Mauritius is therefore expected to provide an early assessment of Zimbabwe’s preparations as the Young Warriors pursue qualification while building a pool of players for the senior national team.
