Sidumisile Mabena
Nkosilathi Sibanda
IZimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) ibika ukuthi iqembu lelizwe, amaWarriors, lizadlala ku-Unity Cup 2026 ezabe ise-The Valley, eLondon, eNgilandi kusukela mhlaka 26 kusiya ku-30 Nkwenkwezi.
Umncintiswano lo uzahlanganisa amazwe amane, iZimbabwe, iNigeria, iJamaica kanye le-India, njalo kuyisikhathi esiyimbali eqakathekileyo kumaWarriors njengoba kungokwakuqala ukuthi adlalele umqhudelwano onje eNgilandi.
IZimbabwe izadibana leNigeria kumdlalo we-semi-final wakuqala mhlaka 26 Nkwenkwezi, kuthi iJamaica ibhekane le-India mhlaka 27. Yonke imidlalo izaqala ngo-7: 30 ntambama. Abaphumeleleyo bazadlala ku-final mhlaka 30 Nkwenkwezi.
I-Unity Cup ibuyela e-The Valley, okulikhaya leqembu leCharlton Athletic FC, lapho eyake yabanjelwa khona ngo-2004. Lumqhudelwano usukhule waba yisikhathi sokuhlanganisa ibhola, amasiko labantu abahlala phandle kwamazwe abo.
UMongameli weZIFA, Nqobile Magwizi, uthe:
“I-Unity Cup yisikhathi esiqakatheke kakhulu kithi. Ibonisa isifiso sethu sokukhula, ukuncintisana lokuzilinganisa lamanye amazwe asezingeni eliphezulu,” kutsho uMagwizi.
Umqeqetshi wamaWarriors, Marian Marinica, uthe leli lithuba elihle eqenjini.
“Leli lithuba lokuzibonakalisa lokumela iZimbabwe ngenhlonipho,” kutsho uMarinica.
Ukaputeni weqembu, Marvelous Nakamba, uthe:
“Kuhlala kuyinhlonipho ukumela iZimbabwe, njalo ukudlala eLondon phambi kwabalandeli bethu abahlala phandle kwelizwe kwenza lokhu kube kuhle kakhulu kithi,” kutsho uNakamba.
I-ZIFA ikhuthaza bonke abayizizalwane zeZimbabwe abahlala e-United Kingdom lakwezinye indawo ukuthi basekele amaWarriors kulumqhudelwano.
Amatikiti ayatholakala ku-intanethi, nge-£18 kusiya phezulu.
Online Reporter