Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
DESPITE Zimbabwe having once again failed to go beyond the group stage at the Africa Cup of Nations, which ended with Senegal’s dramatic extra-time triumph over hosts Morocco in Rabat on Sunday night, their new-look kit left a mark at the continental football show-piece.
The Warriors’ kit was voted among the best at the 2025 AFCON competition.
And the initial batch of Warriors replica jerseys has already been sold out, in a surprise departure from the massive condemnation the new strip attracted when it was launched just before the tournament burst into life.
“A new and even bigger batch is expected in the country in “three weeks” time”, ZIFA have said. The Warrior Pride kit, which was sponsored by Ecobank, was launched just before Zimbabwe left for their sixth appearance at the AFCON finals. The kit attracted negative comments after some hazy pictures of the strip were leaked prematurely on social media.
Nonetheless, the Warrior Pride brand later proved popular in Morocco.
The kit was a home-grown concept, owned by ZIFA and born out of a brand design competition held the previous year.
It represented a deliberate shift by ZIFA towards valuing local creativity and asserting control over its own football identity.
Rather than outsourcing, the association entrusted Zimbabwean designers to tell a national story through colour, texture and detail.
“The first batch of the replicas has already been sold out.
“We expect an even bigger batch in the next two weeks,” ZIFA said in a statement. Although they bowed out at the group stage, once again, for the first time in the country’s AFCON history, the Warriors departed for a major tournament without the familiar anxieties that have too often accompanied past campaigns. Match kits, training wear and off-field requirements were all adequately provided, thanks to a deal with pan-African financial institution Ecobank. ZIFA President Nqobile Magwizi has lauded Ecobank for the role they played in kitting the Warriors.
“We are deeply grateful to Ecobank for standing with Zimbabwean football at a critical moment,” said Magwizi. “Their support ensured that our national team went to AFCON properly resourced, properly presented and with dignity.
“This was not only about jerseys but about confidence and showing Africa that Zimbabwe takes its football seriously. “We are satisfied with what we achieved together, and we see this as the foundation for future partnerships and collaboration.” For Ecobank, the partnership aligned naturally with its continental presence and pan-African identity. Supporting a national team at Africa’s premier tournament provided visibility, relevance and emotional connection with millions of supporters.
For ZIFA, it offered stability, credibility and the ability to plan with intention rather than react to crises.
