How much will lack of game time and match fitness affect the Warriors?

By this 19:00 tonight, the local football family will be aware of the Warriors’ starting eleven to face Algeria.

Zdvravko Logarusic’s charges take on the Desert Foxes in a blockbuster AFCON Group H qualifier tomorrow at 21:00 looking to become the first team to beat Algeria in over two years.

A big problem that might have a bearing on how the  Warriors perform though, which many are casting a blind eye on, is the lack of game time for some players, who form the core of the team and can actually start.

England-based Marvelous Nakamba has not featured for Aston Villa since the 4th of October, when he came off the bench in the 7-2 thumping of champions Liverpool.

Club-less Ovidy Karuru has not featured in the DSTV Premiership this season and his inclusion raised eyebrows while Tendayi Darikwa last played a competitive game at AFCON 2019 and has not featured for Nottingham Forest ever since.

Teenage Hadebe has not had much game time at Yeni Malatyaspor this season either, the same goes for his central defense partnership Alec Mudimu in Moldova for Sheriff Tiraspol.

Against this background, will match fitness not affect the Warriors against a side whose players play week in week out?

The Algeria coach showed seriousness on that issue by dropping out Leicester City’s Islam Slimani because he has not been getting game time under Brendan Rodgers.

Just how much can match fitness and lack of game time affect the Warriors’s quest for glory?

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