HARARE – Zimbabwe’s medical team has allayed fears forward Khama Billiat would not be fit for the trip to Congo Brazzaville for Sunday’s 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifier.

The Kaizer Chiefs star had been a major doubt after he aggravated a hamstring injury while playing in South Africa against SuperSport United on Saturday.

Team doctor Somani Mudariki said Billiat’s injury was not as serious as previously thought. He described the injury as “mild”.

“The injury is mild. It’s not severe. We are treating him and he will soon start light training in about 48 hours and we will see how he will cope with the load of training. We hope he will be ready for Sunday’s match,” Mudariki said.

The Warriors forward said he was happy with the progress he was making as he battles to shake off the injury ahead of the trip.

“The medical team is taking care of me. What I can say is that I’m happy with the progress and I hope I will be ready to play on Sunday,” Billiat said.

Billiat, who was one of the stars at the 2017 African Cup of Nations finals in Gabon, said the experience the team gained at the last edition of the tournament was a big motivator.

He said playing at the finals was a nice experience and they were determined to qualify again.

“We saw how nice it is to play at the finals. It was a good experience, the atmosphere and everything was great. It is a big motivator for us. We know we have to work harder to be there. It will not be easy splaying away. There’s lots of pressure but we are looking forward to get maximum points. What we have to do now is to make use of the little time we have, prepare adequately, go there and try to secure maximum points,” he said.

His coach Sunday Chidzambwa was confident they would bring a positive result.

“We know the expectations and we are going to try and bring a good result. A good result can be a point or three points. Congo are one the strongest sides in the African game and we have to try hard to get a positive result. For us to get a positive result we have to attack and defend. That is what we need to do if we want to qualify,”

The Warriors lead the group with three points after beating Liberia in the opening match of the campaign. Chidzambwa said the match against Liberia was water under the bridge. He insisted there was difference because they are playing away.

Meanwhile, Nyasha Mushekwi was expected to arrive on Tuesday night after which he would join the rest of the team.