The Warriors of Zimbabwe yesterday began training in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.

Norman Mapeza’s charges are in Group B of the continental showpiece, alongside Senegal, Guinea and Malawi and will be looking to go beyond the group stages for the first time ever.

They conducted their first training session at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

23 players are currently in camp, with defender Teenage Hadebe the only absentee.

The Houston Dynamo centre back is attending to what Team Manager Wellington Mpandare described as a ‘delicate family problem’ in Bulawayo.

The team will continue with preparations today and tomorrow and then the squad will be trimmed to 23, before departure for Cameroon on Wednesday.

Captain Knowledge Musona, who fired his Saudi Arabian side Al Tai to victory last night, France-based Tino Kadewere, the England-based duo of Jordan Zemura and Admiral Muskwe, as well as David Moyo of Scottish second tier division side Hamilton, will fly directly to Cameroon.

Zimbabwe kick of their campaign against Senegal on January 10.