(April 7,2005) ZIMBABWE’S Warriors have been handed a rare opportunity to undertake a serious training camp in Europe after being invited to Belgium next month, ahead of their 2006 World Cup/African Cup of Nations qualifying assignment against Gabon. The Warriors’ preparations have often been in shambles with the senior team only coming together just four days before a big match. But the senior team is expected to move in line with other professional sides next month when they undertake a tour of duty to Belgium to fine-tune their preparations for the remainder of their World Cup and African Cup of Nations Group Four qualifying campaign.

Rafik Khan, the Zifa chairman, revealed yesterday that the Belgian Football Federation had written to him extending their invitation to the Warriors to visit their country for a training camp from May 20-29.

An excited Khan said the invitation by the Belgians, who have in the last few months closely assisted Zifa with equipment and kit, was a culmination of his visit to the European country in December where he sought that association’s support.

Zifa also have a close working relationship with Belgian Sports consultancy firm — Euro-Club Services — for whom director Gino Laureyssen has been instrumental in sourcing training equipment and playing kit for the Warriors.

"I have just received a fax message today from the Belgian Federation inviting the Warriors to go there from May 20-29 to prepare for their World Cup assignments.

"We will certainly look into this exciting offer and look at our budgets and I am sure we will take it up. "The Belgians have indicated that they will take care of the Warriors while they are there and all we really need to do is get our team there and I believe one of our traditional sponsors, Air Zimbabwe, will assist us in getting the team to this important training camp,’’ said Khan.

The Zifa chairman said the offer by the Belgians was a rare opportunity which his association ought to fully utilise in their bid to assist the Warriors qualify for at least the 2006 African Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.

"I believe our team can only come back from there a much sharper side for their game against Gabon, so we will have to take this offer with both hands.

"Our challenge since last year has been to take the Warriors to the major competitions like the Nations Cup finals and we understand the need to be professional in our approach to the way all our national teams prepare for their international assignments.

"We also believe that a training camp, such as the one offered by the Belgians, will help the boys to be more focussed for the remainder of their matches and it is up to Zifa to ensure that we do everything within our means to make the team remain focussed,’’ said Khan.

He said the Warriors would, during their stay in Belgium, also play at least three matches against as yet unnamed clubs.

But most importantly is the fact that the invitation extended by the Belgians could give coach Charles Mhlauri and his assistant Moses Chunga enough time to prepare their full squad.

Interestingly, Mhlauri and Chunga are no strangers to the environment in Belgium with the Warriors mentor having undergone a refresher course there in January while his assistant played his professional career in that country for five years.

The coaches have in the past been restricted to using locally-based players in the international friendlies that have often been hastily arranged by Zifa.

In fact, Mhlauri had resorted to abandoning longer training camps for friendly matches against such opposition as Malawi, Lesotho and Botswana, preferring instead to group his players on the morning of the game.

The move was also meant to minimise the disruption of the domestic Premiership calendar.

But with most of the professional seasons ending between mid and end of May, Mhlauri looks set to have all his troops released from their bases for the training camp.

This would mean that unlike the situation in the past where only two or three locally-based players would eventually make the team, the Warriors’ coaches would go into battle with the same men they would have undertaken their preparations with. (Herald)