GOALKEEPER Tapuwa Kapini will captain the Warriors in Wednesday’s 2013 Afcon qualifier against Burundi.
Kapini replaces the suspended Method Mwanjali and Tinashe Nengomasha, who held fort against South Africa and Zambia in two friendly internationals last year.
Coach Rahman Gumbo was thrust into the hot seat also following the suspension of Norman Mapeza over his alleged involvement in match fixing.
Gumbo travelled to Burundi with 18 players after 98 were banned for suspected match fixing and is hoping the mixture of young and experienced players will hold their own against their hosts ahead of the second leg on the weekend of 15-17 June in Harare.
Besides Kapini and Nengomasha, Gumbo has also recalled Esrom Nyandoro, Musa Mguni and Noel Kaseke to add to young tucks Knowledge Musona, Vusa Nyoni, Onisimor Bhasera and the Botswana-based duo of Mandla Sibanda and Arnold Chaka.
However, Cyprus-based defender Noel Kaseke failed to join the squad in Burundi and blamed poor communications between his club and Zifa officials.
"I wanted to come to Burundi and play for my country. It is always an honour to don those colours, but I am hurt because there were complications with my invite. Honestly Zifa ought to have done better," Kaseke told the Bulawayo-based Chronicle newspaper.
"When my invite did not come within the 14 days required, I spoke to the team manager, Nyika Chifamba who said he was having problems with getting through to my club. He then sent one directly to me which I forwarded to the club.
"On Friday the club checked with the travel agent and there was no ticket and travel schedule for my trip. This created an impression that I was coming to Africa on my own business and the letter from Chifamba was just a gimmick.
"I phoned Zifa several times and each instance I was given assurances that they would get in touch with the club over my release but nothing came my way.
“Faced with a situation where no letter or call was made to Omonia despite the ticket being available on Saturday I could not leave Cyprus.”
Meanwhile, the Warriors arrived in Bujumbura to hostile conditions on Sunday as they were forced to wait at the airport for fours with no one from the local football association coming to pick them up.
They were eventually take to a hotel around 7:30pm which officials said resembled a down town lodge.
Spirited efforts by head of delegation Ndumiso Gumede to get the delegation moved to better accommodations were unsuccessful as the locals refused to budge.
In addition, the Warriors were also made to train at a sub-standard pitch.