The Warriors of Zimbabwe will be hoping to get their 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations Group B campaign off to a positive start as they face Algeria on Sunday.
Kalisto Pasuwa's men are aware that for them to reach the quarter-finals of the continental showpiece they need nothing but a win in Franceville.
Ahead of this clash, the Southern Africans faced Cameroon in a friendly on Tuesday in Yaounde as they drew 1-1 and that result will motivate them to face the Desert Warriors in high spirits.
“We are ready. Everyone will see us as the weakest team, but we do have the quality and we are ready to showcase our game,” said skipper Willard Katsande.
“Our objective is to leave a mark at this competition. We are capable of progressing through to the next stage, which is our primary target."
Looking at the George Leekens-coached side, Algeria will want to continue with their winning run as they have bagged two victories in friendlies.
They defeated Mauritannia twice, 3-1 and hammering them 6-0 in the second friendly which means they are confident ahead of the tournament.
Striker Tendai Ndoro is the man to watch for the Southern Africans and his form in front of goal will be a threat for the Algerians.
On the other hand, Leicester City's midfielder Riyad Mahrez will be the man to watch as he is capable of causing all troubles for Zimbabwe especially when it comes to set pieces.
Stade de Franceville in Gabon is the venue on Sunday with the match getting underway at 18:00.
Head-to-Head - Zimbabwe v Algeria
Zimbabwe FIFA ranking: 103rd Algeria FIFA ranking: 39 Matches played: 5 Zimbabwe wins: 1 Algeria wins: 2 Draws: 2 Zimbabwe goals scored: 6 Algeria goals scored: 9 Last match: 19 June 2005 in Oran - Algeria 2-2 Zimbabwe
Backpage TXT