Zimbabwe face off against hosts Egypt for the first match of the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday night. They're hoping to get past the group stage for the first time, but their real ambition is to become the surprise champions of the tournament.
Zimbabwe's players seem to be keeping their cool ahead of their first group match. And they can afford to be confident, after an impressive performance in the qualifiers. They topped their group, beating the Democratic Republic of Congo, who they'll soon face off against once again.
Zimbabwe are known as the warriors, and they'll need to be ready to fight when they face hosts Egypt. But their coach is staying positive. "We know it's not an easy match," coach Sunday Chidzambwa says. "We are playing against the home side, big crowd. And also the team is very good, one of the giants of Africa. So it's not going to be an easy match for us, but we will give it our best shot."
After their match against Egypt, Zimbabwe will be up against the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The warriors will be aiming to at least get past the group stage for the first time, but their real ambition is to pull a victory out of the hat – and battle to become the surprise champions of the tournament.
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