Veronica Gwaze-Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Zimbabwe senior women football team’s dream of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics may have ended in heartbreak following a crushing 9-0 aggregate defeat to Malawi in the second round of the qualifiers, but head coach Stella Gotal refuses to paint it all gloom.
The Croatian gaffer found it challenging in her first assignment at the helm of the Mighty Warriors when falling 2-0 away in Malawi in the first leg before an embarrassing 7-0 defeat at home in the reverse fixture at the National Sports Stadium on Tuesday.
Tasked with building a competitive side just over a month into her role, Gotal was thrown straight into the deep end against a well-oiled Malawian outfit.
The rising regional giants are just coming from an impressive WAFCON showing where they finished as silver medalists and also qualified for the World Cup.
However, the coach believes the painful back-to-back defeats have served a bigger purpose.
That Gotal was entrusted with building a long-term project that can be competitive on an international stage by 2028 changes the lens through which this defeat should be viewed.
She said the qualifiers were never just about results, but about assessment and laying a foundation for the expected turnaround.
“I think from this situation, we have picked a lot of positives and lessons that are very important as we build the project that we really want,” she said.
“Remember, at the start we said where we are headed and the target; one result will not be enough, so in other words our gaze is beyond the qualifiers because we have a bigger picture that we are looking at.
“I am happy that now we have an idea of what we have compared to where we want to go, so now we have to start rolling out a proper plan of what needs to be done . . . it is about building a system.
“This has been an eye-opener; we now know exactly where we are, what we lack and what we need to build the heartbreaking score lines that have helped us lay the foundation.”
The coach said the focus now shifts to rebuilding, with emphasis on youth development, tactical discipline and consistent international exposure.
Her next assignment will likely be international friendlies (Four Nations Tournament) during the November FIFA international break.
Gotal notes that although the Mighty Warriors are out of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Qualifiers, for her the journey to 2028 has just earnestly begun.
“There is no time to rest; we need to identify talent both locally and abroad for us to be able to build the proper squad that we really want,” she said.
