Online Reporter
THE Warriors are scheduled to leave tomorrow for the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.
It hasn’t been a smooth operation ahead of our national team’s departure to represent us at the biggest football tournament on the continent.
There have been some ugly sideshows —the debate over the kit, it’s quality or lack of quality depending on which side one is on — and the controversy over the omission of Marshall Munetsi.
We understand all the emotions which have been thrust into these debates and we respect both sides of the argument.
What this shows us is that we have a country which has a huge interest in its national football team.
This is a very good, in a way, because it shows that we all feel that we have a big stake in the team.
We all feel that the Warriors belong to us and we should all have a say in how they look, what they wear when they are flying our flag and who should or should not be in the team.
We all feel that we should also have a say on who is coaching the team.
That is all good because without us then there are no Warriors to talk about.
It’s a testimony of our enduring love for our Warriors that the bond that binds us to them is very strong even though we have not watched them in action at home for a long time.
Sadly, our boys can’t play at home because the National Sports Stadium, which is their spiritual home, is not up to the standards which CAF need for such matches.
Unfortunately, the renovations which are supposed to bring the giant stadium up to the standards that are required for such matches have been going on for an eternity.
Somehow, we have seen the Chahwanda Stadium being completed, after the construction started from scratch, while just mere renovations at the giant stadium have taken more than a year.
But, that is a subject for another day.
What matters right now is the story of our Warriors and on the eve of their departure to Morocco we believe that this is not the time for the controversial side shows.
This is just the time for us to come together and support the boys who will be flying our flag in Morocco.
Yes, there might have been some mistakes which were done, some players that we feel should have been part of the squad but this is not the time for such debates.
We don’t want the negative energy which such debates tend to bring because what we want to see right now is a united country.
We want to see a united Zimbabwe rooting firmly behind the Warriors because that is the only way that our boys can be able to shine in Morocco.
They can only do well if they know that we are all behind them.
Football has changed and this is no longer the era where countries like Zimbabwe would only go there to make the numbers.
