By Steve Vickers BBC Sport, Harare

Marimo admits he is aware of the problems

Ask any of the thousands of Zimbabwe's armchair coaches what the biggest problem with the Warriors team is, they will answer with one word - midfield.

Fans love to analyse the shortcomings in the centre of the park, and many will hark back to the 1980s, when the country produced some of its most gifted creators.

Coach Sunday Marimo admits he agrees with their views, and one of his main aims is to find the right combination to take to the Nations Cup finals.

"The fans are not wrong - although I'm very happy with the other departments, the midfield is a problem," Marimo told BBC Sport.

"We need a natural ball player, a playmaker in the mould of Moses Chunga."

Former national team captain Chunga, who played for Belgian side Eintracht Alst in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is regarded as one of Zimbabwe's greatest midfielders of all time.

Zimbabwe are desperately seeking a new Chunga

Marimo's chances of finding someone of his calibre before next January are slim, to say the least, but he has not given up hope.

"I want to look at as many players as possible, but if we can't find a new playmaker we'll try to make the most of what we've got," said Marimo.

Tinashe Nengomasha of South African side Kaizer Chiefs is one of five untested linkmen in the squad for the Warriors' Cosafa Cup semi-final against Swaziland on 31 August.

A further three new faces have been named for the World Cup preliminary against Mauritania in October, including German-based Farai Mbidzo.

Marimo has not been given the opportunity to travel to assess the foreign-based Zimbabweans, due to the FA's financial problems.