MOZAMBIQUE START AS SLIGHT FAVOURITES

Three time winners Zimbabwe face the prospect of early elimination at the start of this year’s Cosafa Castle Cup in Mozambique at the weekend.
Unable to call up a squad from the sizeable contingent of foreign-based players, because of club commitments, Zimbabwe have turned to the majority of their under-23 squad to make up their squad for the opening round of the annual southern African championship.
But their inexperience team faces the stark possibility of losing out in the early stages of the regional event when the first of three mini tournaments is hosted in Maputo on Saturday and Sunday.
Zimbabwe, who last won the competition in 2005, face Madagascar in the first of two semifinals on Saturday.
Hosts Mozambique take on the Seychelles in the second semifinal at the Machava stadium.
The home team start as favourites as they seek to continue their improvement under the Dutch coach Mart Nooij.
Last month, Mozambique won a surprise away point in Burkina Faso in their African Nations Cup qualifier.
The two winners return on Sunday for the group final to decide the outcome of the group.
The final day victor moves forward top the semifinals of the competition, joined by the winners of similar mini tournaments to be hosted in Swaziland in May and Botswana in August as well as holders Zambia, who have a bye through to the final four.
Cosafa is a regional organisation for 13 member countries in the south of Africa, including future World Cup hosts South Africa, who are seeking to use the tournament as part of their preparations for the 2010 finals.