Online Reporter
AS Zimbabwe’s Warriors step onto the pitch on Monday to begin their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Egypt, the moment calls for unity.
After all, it coincides with a special day on Zimbabwe’s calendar.
December 22 is National Unity Day, an occasion that is more than just a public holiday as it epitomises our shared struggle for liberation and our collective aspirations for a prosperous Zimbabwe which are far stronger than any force that seeks to divide us.
It is this unwavering unity that has enabled us to overcome challenges and preserve the peace and stability that have been the hallmark of what Zimbabwe is.
This makes the Warriors’ upcoming assignment at the 35th edition of the Nations Cup, somewhat special.
Of course, every major football tournament, whether it is African Nations Championships (CHAN), AFCON, FIFA Confederations Cup or the World Cup tournament arrives with its own share of controversy.
There are always players who many believe should have been on the plane, but were left behind. There are always surprise inclusions that ignite debate. This is not unique to Zimbabwe; it is the nature of football, where selection is as much about balance and timing as it is about talent.
Much has already been written and said about Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder and national team vice captain Marshall Munetsi. In truth, a great deal of what unfolded could have been handled better.
Clearer communication with the player, his club and the fans might have softened the outcome.
But football, like life, does not allow us to replay moments once the whistle has been blown. The reality is simple and unavoidable. Munetsi will not line up on Monday. The players, who will line up are the ones, who now carry our hopes and are our flag bearers.
And they deserve our full backing as an entire nation.
That the opening match against the Pharaohs of Egypt is falling on our National Unity Day, a coincidence that we believe should not be lost on us.
We reiterate that Unity Day reminds us that nationhood is not forged in perfect agreement, but in the ability to come together despite differences.
There is no better stage to demonstrate that spirit than when our national team takes the field in Africa’s biggest football tournament.
Elsewhere on the continent, challenges have also emerged. Zambia, one of our neighbours and fierce Southern African rivals, suffered a major blow to their AFCON preparations when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled that their coach, Moses Sichone, was ineligible to take charge of the team at the tournament because of his coaching qualifications. The news triggered shock and disappointment, as it should have. Yet the Zambian response carries a lesson for our fans and the generality of Zimbabweans.
While there was surprise and frustration, across Zambia and among Zambians in the Diaspora, the tone never descended into sustained public hostility towards the team, or the Football Association.
The focus remained on rallying behind the players who will represent their nation in Group A of the tournament and on calls to find a solution that would allow the team to compete despite the huge coach setback.
Every team that is heading to AFCON carries some unresolved issues in one way or the other. Some fans are unhappy with selections.
Others question tactics, leadership or preparations. That is part of being a football-loving nation. Supporters will always express themselves, and that right should never be questioned. It is the right of every fan to speak out.
What sets us apart, unfortunately, is the speed and intensity with which we often turn against our own. If it is not the coach, it is the kit. If it is not the kit, it is the suits. If it is not the suits, it is the travel arrangements. At times, it feels as though we search harder for what is wrong than for what is possible.
At some point, that uproar must stop. Once the whistle blows, debates belong in the past. The players on the pitch are not abstractions or administrators; they are Zimbabweans carrying the flag, absorbing the pressure and facing Africa’s best on our behalf.
They do not benefit from a divided home front. No team in the world does.
This is not a call for blind loyalty or the silencing of legitimate criticism. The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), while they are trying hard to separate themselves from the ills of the past, still sometimes makes questionable calls, and they will do well to learn from those mistakes and move forward. Those critical conversations have their place, and they will continue long after the tournament ends.
But AFCON is not won in Press conferences, social media threads or hindsight debates. It is contested in 90-minute battles, some of them blood and thunder encounters where belief, confidence and collective spirit matter.
On Unity Day, the best gift we can give the Warriors is our united voice. Let us sing with them, stand with them and allow them to do their work on the field.
For those 90 minutes and beyond, they are not selections or omissions — they are us, they are as Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Anselem Sanyatwe put it, “our VVIP ambassadors’’.
When the Warriors step onto the pitch, they represent all of us. Let us make sure they feel it.
