Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube At Kotoko Airport In ACCRA, Ghana
ZIMBABWE’S athletics team delivered a moment to remember on Sunday night, rewriting history with a stunning gold medal performance at the Senior African Championships held at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
In a championship overshadowed by organisational challenges — including poor-quality food, cold water at the Games Village, and delays in results and programming — Zimbabwe’s men’s 4x400m relay team rose above it all. Their victory was not just a win, but the climax of months of sacrifice, determination and belief.
For Dennis Hove, Leeford Zuze, Gerren Muwishi and anchor runner Thandazani Ndhlovu, it has been nothing short of a fairy tale journey. The quartet powered their way to Zimbabwe’s first-ever relay gold medal at the African Senior Championships, clocking an impressive 3:01.11.
Until now, Zimbabwe’s best finish in this event had been a third-place result in Mauritius. But in Accra, the team went one better — and did so against formidable opposition. Kenya finished second in 3:01.34, while Morocco claimed bronze in 3:01.35.
What made the victory even sweeter was the calibre of teams left behind. Botswana and South Africa — who had taken first and second place respectively at the World Relays in Botswana just a fortnight earlier — were in the same race but failed to make the podium. Their absence from the top three signalled a shift in African relay athletics, with Zimbabwe now firmly among the continent’s leading nations alongside Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
This triumph was no fluke. It was earned through months of hard work, long journeys, and difficult conditions. The team travelled on a limited budget, often enduring modest transport and accommodation. In the end, every sacrifice paid off in Accra.
There was even concern that the race itself might be disrupted, as heavy rain pounded the stadium and surrounding areas in Accra. But the Zimbabwean quartet remained focused.
Their journey to the top began in Lesotho, where Ndhlovu, Muwishi, Zuze and Hove first set their sights on qualification. They ran 3 minutes 03 seconds — a time the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe described as a benchmark rather than the final goal.
From there, they moved on to Botswana, where they broke the national record with a time of 3 minutes 0.69 seconds, surpassing the previous mark of 3 minutes 0.79 seconds. Yet they were still not satisfied.
Their biggest breakthrough came a fortnight ago, when they clocked an astonishing 2 minutes 59.01 seconds — a new national record. That performance also secured early qualification for next year’s World Championships in Beijing, China.
Their hard work and belief were evident in their reactions after the race.
“Winning Africa Championships is a great feeling, we worked hard for it,” said Muwishi after the race.
Ndhlovu echoed that sentiment, emphasising the team effort behind the victory.
“We fought as a team, worked hard to get to this level,” said the finisher.
He also revealed that the team had dedicated the win to fellow athlete Methembe Tshuma, who suffered a serious injury just a day earlier. Tshuma, a 100m and 200m sprinter, broke his femur in a heavy fall following a false start, coming to a sudden halt at the sound of the gun. From his hospital bed in Legon, he had sent the team a message of encouragement just two hours before the race.
Coach Lisimati, who has stood by the team since assembling it and guiding them through competitions in Lesotho and Botswana, was full of praise.
“It was not an accident, these boys have stuck together for a while and understand each other well. All are prepared to die for the team and which is what has been pushing them to achieve so much. “Congratulations to the boys, they have broken new ground and now the world is looking at athletics destination Zimbabwe. It was all down to the spirit and commitment shown in their resilience in sacrificing so much and hungry to deliver,” said Lisimati.
Their achievement will be remembered for years to come. The quartet has not only made history, but also inspired a new generation of Zimbabwean athletes.
Zimbabwe finished the championships with a record haul of four medals — it’s best-ever performance at this level. Hove secured silver in the men’s 400m, while hurdler Ashley Miller also took silver in the same distance. Zuze added a bronze, completing a remarkable 2–3 finish in the 400m — a first for Zimbabwe at this competition.
The team was expected to return home this morning, bringing with them pride, history, and a clear message: Zimbabwean athletics has arrived on the continental stage.
