The England-born youngster was part of the squad for the four-nations tournament in Malawi in March but requested to be excused from the international assignment, as he aimed to secure a first-team position in the Wolves squad.

Tapera on Thursday told NewsDay that Chirewa had made himself available and would be one of the first players to report for camp in South Africa. Said Tapera:

I spoke to him yesterday [Wednesday] and he assured me that he is available. He told me that he is travelling today [Thursday] and arriving in South Africa on Friday (today) evening.

It’s good for Zimbabwe football to have such a player in the squad who plays at the level he is playing. The English Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world, if not the best, so for him to be playing in that league shows that he is very good.

Unfortunately, we have limited time to work with all the players because making combinations in a team needs some time.

I would have wanted more time with the players, but such is the nature of international football. I expect him and all the other players to quickly fit into the system.

Chirewa is one of seven England-based players who were included in the Warriors squad, together with Brendan Galloway, Shane Maroodza, Andy Rinemhota, Tivonge Rushesha, Joey Phuthi and Tawanda Maswanhise.

The Warriors camp is scheduled to start on Sunday in Johannesburg ahead of the match against Lesotho at the Orlando Stadium next Friday.

The match kicks off at 3 PM.

More: Pindula News