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ZIMBABWE’S senior men football team, the Warriors, made their much-awaited return to international action on Wednesday when they took on Rwanda in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C qualifier away in East Africa.
The Warriors had endured nearly two years in the wilderness after the country was suspended by the world football governing association – FIFA –after the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), the State body responsible for the regulating and development of sport in the country, intervened at stem maladministration that was alleged to be rife at Zimbabwe Football Association(ZIFA).
Zimbabwe are now seeking to announce their return onto the international arena by making an immediate impression in the competitions they partake after an 18-month hiatus.
The Mighty Warriors, the senior women’s football team, got the ball rolling when they lost to neighbours, Mozambique in the third/fourth place play-offs at the COSAFA Women’s Cup early this month.
Now the Warriors are back in the trenches and seeking to kick-start fruitful campaigns.
These 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers are the first steps and the Warriors picked up a point in the opening match against Rwanda on Wednesday.
They host the Super Eagles of Nigeria for the second Group C match in the same country this weekend, and we hope we collect maximum points, or at least avoid a draw.
This is a fairly new-look Warriors team, considering the changes in the technical department as well as the composition of the players called up for national duty.
Now we have to build onto Wednesday’s result and kick on for the remainder of the qualifiers in a group whose other opponents are South Africa, Nigeria, Benin and Lesotho.
Our work is cut out now and there is a long way to go.
It begins with putting our house in order and avoiding the pitfalls that got us suspended in the first place. Adept and enough preparation is the cornerstone of success.
The build-up to the Rwanda match left a lot to be desired for a country that is serious about qualifying for major tournaments as the squad travelled in batches, with others touching down from their respective bases across the globe a day before the match.
This is not ideal arrangement and can be a major drawback as proper camps have to be organised for games of such magnitude.
We require a different and fresh approach to the way we have been doing business all this while since it never booked us a berth at the greatest football showpiece – the World Cup.
Getting our preparations right also means utilising all the international breaks as well as engaging in friendly or exhibition matches so that the technical departments has adequate time to run the rule over all the players that are considered for the squad, including those based overseas.
The time we spent in the wilderness during our suspension should spur us to come back stronger.
On paper, our squad looks decent. If we properly tap into the pool of players at our disposal and ensure that the administrative side of our game is in perfect order, we can go places.
This requires pulling in the same direction through unity of purpose – from the association, players, supporters and corporates as sponsors.
Where there is a will there is a way and there is always room for improvement.
Go Warriors Go!
Online Reporter