Moving from point A to B is by no means easy in Kampala. The Ugandan capital is swarm with motorcycle taxis, commonly known as boda boda, whose operations make the Central Business District traffic logged.

Safety is not the boda boda’s strongpoint though; being a passenger on one, due to the haphazard manner in which they are driven, requires a lot of courage.

Equally, being a pedestrian in Kampala requires maximum concentration, as at every blink of the eye, a boda boda passes by in an orgy of congestion.

An estimated 4,050,826 people call Kampala home according to the World Population Review but since last week, an additional 40 have built a nest in the Ugandan capital.

A 40-member Zimbabwean delegation consisting of players, coaching staff and officials are in Kampala for the Warriors’ AFCON 2025 Group J qualifiers against Kenya and Cameroon.

The Warriors are seeking to book a place at the 35th edition of the continental showpiece slated for next year and have adopted Uganda as their home due to the availability of a CAF-approved stadium in Zimbabwe.

All stadiums in the country, including the giant 60-000 seater National Sports Stadium, were flagged down by CAF for not having set international standards.

Warriors fans last attended the country’s senior national team home game in Zimbabwe, in September 2019.

Michael Nees’ charges take on the Harambee Stars of Kenya this afternoon at the Mandela National Stadium before ‘hosting’ the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the same venue on Tuesday.

While Nees would have loved overseeing his first assignment in Zimbabwe, the German expatriate insists the environment in  Kampala is still conducive.

“We cannot complain of anything, especially about the hotel or transport. The traffic here is very difficult but since we have police escort, it takes us only 20 minutes to get to our training ground,” Nees told the media yesterday.

“The training pitch you saw it, just opposite the stadium, very good. The stadium pitch is also good. It would be a perfect scenario had it been a home game in Harare but everything is good here,” added Nees.

The Warriors coach is confident his troops can deliver, despite having very little time to prepare for the two matches.

He believes having everyone sailing in the same boat in terms of approach and how the game ought to be played, is the entry point in the quest to get a positive result.

“Our aim was to change the mentality of the players. It’s always difficult when you have local-based players who play a different style of football that they are used to playing. They are used to a slower type of game but from an individual technique, very good game,” explained Nees.

“The Europe-based stars on the other hand, are used to a high pressing and fluid passing kind of game. So we had to adjust that to make sure everyone is on the same page with the same mentality,” he added.

Udinese star Jordan Zemura admits playing in Zimbabwe would have been special, but the task at hand is to get a positive result.

“It’s such a great shame that we are not playing at home. In a stadium full of your own fans, of course there is pressure but there is a sense of joy, there is more to a game when you play in front of your home people,” said Zemura.

“It would have been a full-packed stadium at the National Sports Stadium and I don’t think you can ask for anything better.

“As of now, we just have to make do with a neutral venue but we would have loved to be playing back in Zimbabwe in front of our fans, creating memories for them and creating memories for ourselves.

”We are however looking forward to the game against Kenya. We are confident and ready to go,” declared Zemura.

Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs star Khama Billiat, who came out of retirement and returns to the Warriors fold after a three-year hiatus, is confident in Nees and feels the team can excel under the German mentor.

“It’s very important to start our campaign well, it’s going to require a lot hard work, communication and quick adjustments,” said Billiat.

“We have a new coach and I said it couple of days back that we have spent little time with him but we can see his ideas and we are professional enough to adjust accordingly.

“At this stage, we normally don’t have a lot of time to adjust to a new philosophy and as players, so we need to show character and represent the country in the best possible way,” added Billiat.

Probable Warriors starting XI to face Kenya: Washington Arubi, Godknows Murwira, Munashe Garan’anga, Gerald Takwara, Jordan Zemura, Andy Rinomhota, Marshall Munetsi (c), Walter Musona, Khama Billiat, Tawanda Chirewa, Prince Dube.