THE Warriors are likely to return to South Africa for their next home assignment when they tackle Benin in a Group C 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier in early March.
Zimbabwe’s senior football team will attempt to breathe life back into their ailing campaign, first against Benin on March 17 before they take on Nigeria in their own fortress.
Just like they did in the last international break, where they played Kenya in Polokwane in an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier before immediately flying off to Cameroon, Zifa is looking to play the home match in South Africa before travelling to West Africa.
Coach Michael Nees wants the Warriors to play their home match in South Africa, where they recorded some success which led them to qualifying for this year’s Afcon finals that will be held in Morocco.
Zimbabwe are rock bottom in their Group C World Cup qualifiers, with just two points earned from draws against Nigeria and Rwanda under Baltemar Brito.
They followed up these two points with defeats to Lesotho and South Africa, both played in South Africa last year and the team was under the stewardship of Jairos Tapera.
Last year, Zimbabwe hosted their matches in Uganda, against Cameroon, then Orlando Stadium in South Africa before they preferred Polokwane for the match against Kenya.
They won all three matches they played in South Africa and Nees wants the team to return to the neighbouring country, where they enjoy a lot of support from Zimbabweans resident there.
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But they face logistical challenges, particularly when travelling from South Africa to Nigeria after the Benin match and they may find themselves eating into training time during travels.
For the last match, they travelled from Polokwane to Johannesburg before flying out to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where they spent a night before connecting to Yaoundé.
They face bigger challenges with the inactivity of locally-based Warriors players as the Premier Soccer League is only set to kick off in March.
The locally-based players that have been part of Nees squad for previous matches include Khama Billiat, Godknows Murwira, Walter Musona, Emmanuel Jalai, Richard Hachiro, Andrew Mbeba and Brian Banda.
Goalkeeper Martin Mapisa, who was at Dynamos, has moved to Zambia and is likely to get some minutes.
Billiat, Murwira, Musona and Mbeba are likely to benefit from their new club Scottland’s pre-season tour of South Africa, where they will play some friendly matches.
Nees was hoping to have the players for a training camp, but it looks like his wishes will not be fulfilled.
“We don’t know yet when the players are going to be available for us. Basically, we have three groups of players, those overseas, in South Africa and players here in Zimbabwe,” he told our sister paper Standard Sport last month.
“We need to know the availability of these players for planning purposes and decision-making. I can plan a camp tomorrow, but it can only be done if we know.
“Clearly, we must all pull in one direction to try and turn the ship around in the World Cup qualification.”
Nees emphasised that they need to pick up maximum points and thus needs players who are match fit for this purpose.
“We are in the last position. And when we select players we need players that are match fit, at least having played three or four league matches,” he said.
Added Nees per Standard Sport: “It’s not all lost. The situation is not at its best and we have to turn it around in the home match against Benin and then against Nigeria.
“Nigeria is really wounded and you cannot predict how it will turn to be. So we need to try everything possible to win.
“My worry is that the league starts normally end of March and qualification games are in March as well. Local players will be coming from offseason. It’s a big issue, big problem.
“For me there is two options, to do the camp with local players before March matches, or the league should start in the beginning of March so that they have at least three games. Match fitness in serious games is a key issue.”
The Warriors will be boosted by the fit again forward Tawanda Chirewa.
However, the 21-year-old had his loan spell cut short at Derby County after his time there was hampered by injuries.
He missed the last international window following an injury.
He was back in action on Tuesday, where the Wolves Under-21 side played Sheffield United.
He joined Derby County in August on a season-long loan deal, but returned to Molineux after the Rams opted to end his loan deal.
Derby expressed its gratitude to him in a statement published on their website, which reads: “Derby County would like to wish Tawanda every success in the future and for his efforts during his time with the club.”
Speaking in December, Rams boss Paul Warne said: “It hasn’t worked out for him or for us as well as it could have, simply because he got injured. We signed two young lads and men’s football is a step up.
“There is always that threat that you could go and get Manchester United’s best under-21s striker, but once they play men’s football, it’s just more physical.
“We are just unfortunate that two young lads got injured and the injuries limited their game time with us.”
