THE senior national soccer team, the Warriors, booked a place at next year’s African Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Morocco after they picked a crucial point against bogey side Kenya at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday.
Tawanda Maswanhise's first competitive goal for the national team was all the Warrior needed to snuff out the fighting spirit by the Kenya team which, before the match, had a chance of qualifying for the finals. The Harambee Stars needed to beat Zimbabwe and win their next match against Namibia hoping that the Warriors would falter against the Indomitable Lions in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Tuesday.
In the end the Warriors picked a crucial point making Tuesday’s match immaterial in deciding the two teams to qualify from Group J.
Tribute should go to coach Michael Nees who has assembled a team with a hunger to succeed. They excelled against the odds of playing home matches away from home by picking crucial points which culminated in the team qualifying for Afcon finals.
The German tactician has proved critics wrong who had argued that Nees’s lack of experience on the continent would work against him.
Under Nees, the Warriors picked nine points out of a possible 15. Under the German’s tutelage, the Warriors restricted the Indomitable Lions to a goalless draw and, with a bit of precision, would have beaten the central Africans at Zimbabwe’s then-adopted home ground, Mandela National Stadium in Uganda, in September.
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Had the team played all its matches at home, it would have benefited from the 12th man.
Zifa should also be applauded for the smooth preparations. There were no boycotts over bonuses or appearance fees.
After nearly two years in the wilderness following a Fifa ban, qualifying for Afcon marks the team's return to international football.
Friday’s qualification by Zimbabwe saved government the blushes after it failed to ensure there is a Caf-approved stadium in place despite promises to do so.
There has been one tale after the other, as government appeared to have abdicated its duty of ensuring that there is a Caf-approved stadium to be used for home matches. This saw the team playing home matches at the Mandela National Stadium in Uganda and at Peter Mokaba Stadium and Orlando Stadium (both in South Africa).
The nation had been told that renovations at the National Sports Stadium would be completed by June this year.
Government later said that it was in talks with some private sector players to create a vehicle to be listed as a real estate investment trust on the United States dollar-denominated Victoria Falls Stock Exchange to mobilise resources to refurbish the stadium.
“What that will enable is to allow pension funds, private players and Zimbabweans in general, to crowdfund for the refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium,” deputy Finance minister David Mnangagwa told Parliament in June.
In August, the Sports and Recreation Commission said renovations would be completed by the end of this month. Indications are that the programme will spill into the new year.
The Warriors still have Fifa World Cup qualifiers to contend with. Next year, Zimbabwe has three World Cup Group C home matches against Benin, Rwanda and South Africa in March, September and October, respectively.
It is a battle worth pursuing in the race for the 2026 World Cup finals to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Although the Warriors trail leaders Rwanda by five points, there are six matches to be played and, with the current crop of Warriors Nees has assembled, it is not over till the fat lady sings.