Warriors coach Michael Nees has lamented the country’s stadium situation which has seen the team look for an alternative home beyond borders as he seeks to turn around the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Zimbabwe are currently rock bottom in the six–team Group C World Cup qualification race with just two points from four matches and play their next game at home to Benin on March 17.
The German coach, who presided over a successful 2025 Afcon qualification campaign following his appointment in August last year, is hoping to turn around the country’s faint World Cup hopes, but believes playing home games away from home will make the job more difficult.
“Well, if you look at our qualifying group, we are in the last position. We don't need to beat around the bush here, we're not in a very good position. But still, there are six games to play. And we see that as a double project,” he told Cafonline.
“First, we want to do everything to turn the corner in the group and turn things for the better, but we know where we are. We know the challenges. At the same time, it's very good preparation for the Cup of Nations finals. We will try our best and let's see how it goes.”
He added: “What is more challenging is that we cannot play at home. We always have costs, logistical challenges and no income. And we cannot play in front of our people. For sure, this makes it very difficult, because honestly, Zimbabwe is a football crazy country. We could play any opponent right now and it would be packed any day of the week, anytime.”
The National Sports Stadium is currently undergoing renovations, notably the installation of bucket seats, but it looks like it may not be used anytime this year.
The Warriors will have to continue looking for alternative home grounds and the Zifa Normalisation Committee has shown interesting in hosting matches in South Africa.
Before settling for Nees, the Normalisation Committee appointed three different coaches in less than a year to take charge of the team, first giving the job to Brazil-born Portuguese coach Baltemar Brito before choosing Norman Mapeza and Jairosi Tapera.
Brito drew the first two World Cup qualifier matches against Rwanda and Nigeria in November 2023, while Tapera lost the other two matches to minnows Lesotho and neighbours South Africa.
Mapeza coached the team at the Four Nations tournament in Malawi and managed to reach the final, where they lost to Kenya.
Currently, Rwanda top Group C with seven points, same as South Africa and Benin, with Lesotho fourth after amassing five points and Nigeria fifth with four points.
Zimbabwe will play both Benin and Nigeria in March.
“We must take it step by step. It is dangerous to be thinking of the second step ahead of the first. We have seen Benin are very strong team. There's no doubt about that. We are in no position to think about the opponent after Benin,” Nees said.
“We have a challenge and we take it step by step and match by match, and actually, we must take it training to training, day by day. I think we’ll be well advised to approach it that way, because there's so many variables in football.
“In our group, Nigeria are a wounded lion and, therefore, very dangerous. Their potential is definitely much better than their current position in the group. When you look at the players in Africa, definitely they are one of the top teams.”