Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, [email protected]
THERE are victories that deliver three points, and then there are those that leave something behind.
Zimbabwe’s 3-2 victory over Sierra Leone on Thursday night belongs firmly in the latter category.
The Warriors did not merely begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a win.
They made history, becoming the first Zimbabwe senior men’s side to come from two goals down to win an international match by that scoreline.
Moreover, in foreign soil.
At 2-0 down at half-time, the Warriors looked to be heading towards a difficult start to Ramon Catala’s competitive reign.
Instead, they produced a remarkable second-half transformation that has suddenly given supporters something to talk about, and, perhaps more importantly, something to look forward to.
The timing could hardly be better.
On Monday, after almost five years of playing their international matches away from home, the Warriors will finally walk out at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.
And they will do so carrying the memory of a comeback that has stirred fresh interest among their supporters.
Sierra Leone had appeared firmly in control after Alie Conteh put them ahead in the seventh minute before Sallieu Tarawallie doubled the lead in the 27th minute.
Two goals down.
A new coach facing his first competitive match.
A difficult road back.
But Zimbabwe refused to surrender.
Marshall Munetsi began the revival in the 72nd minute before Tawanda Chirewa produced the equaliser four minutes later.
Then, with two minutes of normal time remaining, Munetsi completed the turnaround.
From 2-0 down to 3-2 winners.
It was the Warriors’ comeback of the night, but its significance went beyond the result.
For a team that has spent years playing in front of unfamiliar surroundings, the victory has provided an emotional lift just before Zimbabweans get the opportunity to see their national team at home again.
“The team played well. They need to work on their defence but it’s good the coach also realised his mistakes and fixed everything. On Monday let’s rally behind the team. We just hope the coach will get the combinations right,” said Warriors supporter Doubt Dube popularly known as Umfundisi weBosso.
Another supporter, Mgijimi, was equally eager to see the momentum carried into Monday’s homecoming.
“It was a good victory yesterday and on Monday we must go on to rally behind the Warriors,” he said.
That renewed enthusiasm is perhaps one of the biggest gains from Thursday night.
The Warriors have given their supporters a story worth remembering.
They were down. They looked beaten.
Then they turned the game around.
And now those same supporters have a chance to witness the next chapter from the stands.
The last time Zimbabwe played an international match on home soil was on November 14, 2021, when the Warriors drew 1-1 with Ethiopia in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the National Sports Stadium
The venue was subsequently barred from hosting international football after failing to meet Confederation of African Football standards, forcing Zimbabwe to stage their home fixtures outside the country.
That long exile ends on Monday.
Following rehabilitation work and a technical inspection, the National Sports Stadium was granted Caf Category Three status, clearing the way for international football to return to Harare.
And the homecoming comes against an opponent capable of making the occasion even more significant.
The Democratic Republic of Congo arrive with a star-studded squad featuring the likes of Arthur Masuaku, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Fiston Mayele, Axel Tuanzebe, Yoane Wissa and Nathaniel Mbuku.
It will be a considerably different examination from Sierra Leone.
But perhaps that is exactly what the Warriors need.
Thursday showed character.
Monday will demand concentration, quality and another collective effort.
It will also give the players something they have been denied for nearly five years, the chance to hear their supporters singing the national anthem and roaring them on from Zimbabwean soil.
Zifa president Nqobile Magwizi has called on Zimbabweans to fill the stadium and make the occasion a memorable homecoming, with expectations of a crowd of up to 30 000 supporters.
There is already evidence that the appetite is there. The comeback has stirred it.
The homecoming could amplify it.
And the players know they will have a crowd behind them.
