The Brave Warriors have suffered a number of setbacks ahead of their upcoming assignment, with injuries and travel-document challenges ruling several players out of the squad.
Defender Alex Mumbango is among the players who will miss the trip due to an issue with his travel documentation, while David Ndeunyema has also been ruled out after sustaining an injury during his most recent match for MWOS FC in Zimbabwe.
South African based players, Prins Tjiueza and Tuli Nashixua have also been ruled out of the upcoming assignment due to injuries.
The absences come as head coach Collin Benjamin looks to assemble the strongest possible squad ahead of the upcoming matches. However, the coach remains confident in the quality of the players available to him, insisting that the squad still has enough depth and quality to compete.
“We wanted to bring together the best players available in the country and those playing abroad. Unfortunately, we have had a few setbacks with injuries and travel documents, but we have a good squad and every player here deserves to be here. We have quality across the team, and we are confident in the players we have,” said Benjamin.
“We wish all the injured players a speedy recovery, and hopefully we can see them again in November,” he added.
The Brave Warriors will face Congo in Gaborone on 23 September before travelling to Moroni to face Comoros on 27 September as they begin their campaign for Afcon 2027.
Speaking about the challenge that awaits the Brave Warriors, Benjamin acknowledged the physical threat posed by Congo but remained confident in his team’s readiness.
“Congo is a physical team, but we have soldiers who are ready to go to war. We know what we have to do, and we are excited for the challenge,” said Benjamin.
The Brave Warriors arrived in Gaborone on Sunday, 20 September, with their first training session set for Monday, 21 September, as preparations get underway for the upcoming assignment.
