WARRIORS skipper Willard Katsande believes Zimbabwe’s 2017 African Cup of Nations campaign will be anchored on teamwork instead of individual talents with the Kaizer Chiefs midfielder reckoning that his troops will be the Group B surprise packages.

Katsande and a host of the Warriors’ foreign legion begin reporting for camp on Monday night ahead of the final phase of preparations for the Nations Cup which will run in Gabon from January 14 to February 5.

Zimbabwe are in Group B together with African football giants Algeria, Senegal and Tunisia.

North African sides Algeria and Tunisia have been African champions before while Senegal, for all their lofty status are still to win a continental title.

While acknowledging that the Warriors, who are the lowest ranked team in the group will be underdogs, Katsande told Kaizer Chiefs official magazine — Amakhosi — that Zimbabwe would bank on their collective talents to cause upsets in Gabon.

The Zimbabwe captain also gave his overview of the rest of the groups at the tournament where his team will get their Group B campaign underway with a date against the Desert Foxes in Franceville on January 15.

“This (Group B) is my group and I believe we have the quality and talent in our team to top the standings. We are the only team representing Southern Africa and we showed in our qualifying campaign what kind of a force we are.

“We worked hard in qualifying, to top our group, and we only lost one game in the process. We will not be an easy team to beat, we are no pushovers.

“Yes we are going to carry the underdog tag, but we are going to showcase our talent. The teams in our group are beatable,” Katsande said.

Katsande said last month’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers results by Senegal and Algeria gave Zimbabwe hope that any team can win a match against the heavyweights.

Both Senegal and Algeria suffered their first competitive defeats since the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with the Lions of Teranga losing 2-1 to South Africa in Polokwane while the North Africans also bite the dust with the same margin against Nigeria.

“In my opinion we are in the Group of Death with teams like Senegal and Algeria, who did not lose a game during qualifying and are among the favourites to lift the AFCON title’.

“But in past games against South Africa we have seen both Algeria and Senegal struggle, and that has given us confidence because we play a similar style to Bafana Bafana.

“We will give them the respect they deserve but on match day it is 11 versus 11 and it is all about who applies their tactics best,” said Katsande.