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Tadious Manyepo in POLOKWANE, South Africa
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1)1
Kenya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1
ZIMBABWE secured their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations ticket after earning a big point in this draw at the Peter Mokaba Stadium here last night.
The Warriors needed a draw in a Group J penultimate qualifier to progress to the finals with a game to spare.
Michael Nees, who is from Germany, became the second foreign coach to take the Warriors to the AFCON finals.
Nees’ Warriors have managed two victories against Namibia and three draws against Kenya (twice) and Cameroon.
They showed they were prepared to do just that and with a huge crowd rallying behind them, the Warriors stepped up to the plate.
Now on nine points after five games, it means that Zimbabwe cannot be eclipsed by the Harambee Stars who took their tally to five points with just one game before the qualification comes to an end.
Impressive youngster Tawanda Maswanhise, who was handed his first start, got Zimbabwe to a dream start with his first goal for the country after 32 minutes.
Although Jonah Ayunga ensured a nervy ending to the tense tie with a 52nd minute equaliser, Zimbabwe did enough to keep things under control.
It’s the second time that Zimbabwe have qualified for the Afcon with a game to spare after they did that under Croat Zdravko Logarusic for the 2021 finals which were played in Cameroon in 2022 due to the Covid-19 restrictions.
It’s a shame the Warriors clinched the Afcon ticket at home away from home as there is no approved stadium by CAF in the country.
Coach Michael Nees became the first Zimbabwe coach to qualify for Afcon after playing all home games away from home and it was befitting to see him being hoisted by his players during wild celebrations in the changing room.
It was even more befitting that Zimbabwe had to clip the Afcon ticket at a stadium where the late goalie George Chigova made his name and helped Zimbabwe win the 2018 Cosafa trophy.
And the players also dedicated the triumph to the giant goalkeeper who died in his sleep in Johannesburg exactly a year ago.
Yet the Warriors started nervously and it was understandable because they obviously knew they needed a draw at the back of their minds.
Captain Marvelous Nakamba almost gifted the Kenyans when his weak reverse pass was intercepted before Teenage Hadebe saved the day for the squad with a timely sliding tackle.
That mistake awakened Zimbabwe and they crept back into the match with Maswanhise doing well in the right flank.
Walter Musona should have slid the ball in when receiving a good pass from Khama Billiat, but he hit the ball straight to the scrambling Kenya goalkeeper Byrne Amondi.
Then moments later, Billiat picked Maswanhise who rolled the ball past Amondi to give Zimbabwe the lift they needed.
But moments after the restart, Gerald Takwara went to sleep and allowed Ayunga to bundle the ball home.
With the game now a see-saw affair, Maswanhise and Jordan Zemura could have added to Zimbabwe’s tally, but Omondi repelled both.
Nees was happy with the result.
“I am impressed with how the game went on although it was a nervy start for us,” said Nees.
“The players gave it their all and it was really good to see them doing that in the field.
“I like the way we conducted ourselves in the field of play. It was a game we needed a result from and we are happy we got what we needed.”
Zimbabwe will play Cameroon on Tuesday with a victory sure to see the Warriors top Group J and Nees said that was the objective.
Afcon 2025 qualified teams
Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Teams
Zimbabwe: Washington Arubi,Gerald Takwara (Godknows Murwira 56min), Jordan Zemura, Munashe Garan’anga, Marshal Munetsi, Andy Rinomhota, Marvelous Nakamba, Khama Billiat, Walter Musona (Divine Lunga 75min), Tawanda Maswanhise (Terrence Dzvukamanja 75min), Teenage Hadebe
Kenya: Byrne Amondi, Daniel Anyembe, Amos Obiero, Ronney Onyango, Michael Olunga,Eric Otieno, Anthony Agay, Jonestone Omorwa, Abud Abud, Joseph Okumu (Charles Momanyi 57min), Jonah Ayunga
Online Reporter