YOUNG Warriors coach Calisto Pasuwa, who also coaches premiership champions, Dynamos has welcomed the draw for the African Under-23 Championships.
The draw was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday.
Zimbabwe’s Under-23 soccer team was paired against Swaziland in the first round of the tournament whose finals will be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo next year.
Pasuwa expressed confidence his charges, who are set to play Botswana in an international friendly next week in preparation for the games, will make it to DRC and eventually the 2016 Olympics.
“It’s better than it could have been,” Pasuwa said of the draw.
“If we prepare well I think we stand a good chance to qualify even to the 2016 Olympics.
“We are still assembling a team and it is important that we get a number of friendly matches so that the boys can gel.”
If the Young Warriors beat Swaziland in the first round, they will face South Africa in the second round and the winner will then meet Senegal who are one of the seeded teams.
In their previous attempt to qualify for the Olympics, South Africa dashed Zimbabwe hopes after a 2-1 aggregate victory, having beaten them 2-0 in South Africa before they were edged 1-0 in Harare at Rufaro.
The finals of the CAF African U23 Championship will be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo next year where the top four teams that reach the semi-finals will qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Fifa has set October 25 as the deadline to register teams for the Olympic qualifiers. The Olympic Games calls for players born on or after January 1 1993.

FULL DRAW
First round

Libya v Mauritania
Ghana v Liberia
Botswana v Kenya
Zimbabwe v Swaziland
Guinea-Bissau v Sierra Leone
Rwanda v SomaliaAdvertisement