B-Metro Comment: WARRIORS ARE THE REAL DEAL

To borrow from street language; a�?Warriors are the real deal!a�?

Thata��s in reference to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, known as the Total Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon 2017 (also referred to as Afcon 2017 or Can 2017) you can call it what you want, but whata��s important is that Zimbabwe carries the hopes of the entire Southern African region as the only team at the tournament.

Some readers will remember how in the first bidding to host the event, Zimbabwe went up against countries such as Botswana, Cameroon, DR Congo, Guinea, Morocco, South Africa andA� Zambia.

At the time our football was so bad that we couldna��t even qualify for a major tournament, as such, by virtue of being hosts we would get automatic qualification.

As fate would have it, the bid didna��t come any close to us and back to the highway, the hard way a�� a gallant generation of footballers matured into one single unit, as they went about their paces, they landed Zimbabwe in Gabon this year.

Already, Zimbabwe is taunted as the team to watch by many sports pundits and the boys wish to live up to that billing. In this weeka��s edition we carry more than five stories that are somehow linked to the Warriors and the Gabon expedition.

From the little things such as their second names, words of encouragement and evenA� home truths we aim to prepare the nation for glory and the unwanted disappointment.

Whata��s special about the Warriors is that all the times Zimbabwe has had a dance with the best in Africa, ita��s local coaches that have taken the country to the promised land.

It was Sunday Marimo in 2004, then came Charles Mhlauri in 2006 and now we are here with Callisto Pasuwa.

The first two coaches literally taught the Warriors to sit and walk. We only hope Pasuwa is the guy to teach them to run a�� storm into the second round against all odds.

If the Warriors make it to the second round, anything is possible. If football was a fairytale, we would like to see the Warriors pull a magic wand from the same bag where the formula to beat teams such as Tunisia, Cameroon and other African giants came from when the Dream Team was assembled.

Football administrators should play their backroom roles and leave the playing to the coach and his troops then something special will come out of this at the end of the day.

If the boys do the nation proud,A� Zifa boss Philip Chiyangwa can start taking selfie videos and showing off with his entourage and so on.

In any case, by then we would be focusing on the real stars of the show and not a�?obhudi bendawoa�? socialites.

Warriors, do your thing!