Mahachi warns Zimbabwean opposition

South African-based Zimbabwean midfielder Kudakwashe Mahachi says they can cause an upset at the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

The Golden Arrows winger says the mix of European-based players, Zimbabwean-based and those plying their trade in the Absa Premiership makes them a tough unit.

Kalisto Pasuwa’s men are in Group B together with Algeria, Tunisia and Senegal as they will fight to reach the knockout stages.

“We’ve got good players from Europe and South Africa and the best players even from local Zimbabwe’s Premier Soccer League, so I think we’ve got a good squad,” said the 23-year-old.

“We have been playing together since the beginning of the campaign so we understand each other and we know our strengths and weaknesses. I feel we’ve got a good combination on our side.

“Of course we are underdogs and we’re playing big teams there at AFCON, but playing Ivory Coast recently in a friendly match helped us a lot. It was good to test ourselves against the so called ‘big nations’ on the African continent.”

The Southern African side will kickoff their campaign with a tough assignment against the Desert Warriors of Algeria on Sunday.