Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in DURBAN, South Africa
ON Friday night in Durban, Warriors coach Michael Nees showed he is not short of the ingredients that make one a genius.
Zimbabwe hosted South Africa in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at Moses Mabhida Stadium and many had written them off even before the game started.
The Warriors looked like sheep being driven into the lion’s den, at face value, at least.
Bruised, battered and sitting at the foot of Group C with only four points and no win, the Warriors had already failed in their World Cup bid.
In contrast, World Cup qualification remains Bafana Bafana’s priority project as they seek to be part of the 48-team jamboree in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The contrasting fortunes left the weight of pressure more on Bafana Bafana than on the Warriors.
Still, few gave Zimbabwe a chance to win or even come out with a draw.
Warriors squad
The result of the reverse fixture in which Zimbabwe were thumped 3-1 in Bloemfontein last year did not help instil confidence in the Warriors.
It seemed no one considered that a lot had changed since the two teams’ meeting in June 2024.
A tinkering of personnel by ZIFA to replace Jairos Tapera with Nees, a coach who spent quite a significant time in South Africa, meant the Warriors descended in the port city of Durban with a different outfit that had method.
Bafana Bafana meant business, but the Warriors were also not in Durban for a sight-seeing cruise.
Knowing the threat posed by Orlando Pirates’ Oswin Appolis on the left flank, Nees decided to rest both the men who have done duty at right back over the past year — Godknows Murwira and Emmanuel Jalai.
Instead, he deployed tall Copenhagen defender Munashe Garananga in that role, partnering him with the tried-and-tested duo of Gerald Takwara and Teenage Hadebe at centre-back and Divine Lunga at left-back.
The back four looked so traditional, as if they would only be there to hoof the balls away.
But that was never the tactic.
Garananga would obviously be out-sprinted by the lightning-quick Appolis.
HANDS OFF . . . Zimbabwe’s Khama Billiat (left) and Mohau Nkota of South Africa fight for possession during last Friday’s match at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban.
That happened only once and to no effect too.
Instead, former captain Knowledge Musona was always in proximity, ensuring that each time more men were needed at central defence, he would revert to being a right back. Similarly, on the left wing back, where Lunga would sometimes drift in to add numbers at the centre, Jordan Zemura would come in to cover for him.
Khama Billiat, thrown into midfield together with Marshal Munetsi and Marvelous Nakamba as a creative hub, turned into both a creative star and did some donkey work at times, especially when Munetsi, with his huge energy levels, carried the ball forward.
The intact defensive tactic was not ultra and the counter-play was always carried out with some caution.
That unsettled Bafana Bafana, whose strength lie not in crosses, but on piling pressure down the centre and rangy shooting. Goalkeeper Washington Arubi, Musona, Billiat, Lunga, Hadebe and Takwara were all alive to this.
Arubi, using his years of experience, helped pass on-field tactical messages after Zimbabwe had been reduced to 10 men following Musona’s expulsion.
Asked how he told the players to adjust, Arubi said: “I just told the guys that, okay, guys, let’s just close in the central part. I know that’s okay. These type of players, they play like Mamelodi Sundowns. They’re not good when it comes to crosses.
“So, we just needed to close the centre, then go and give them the outside. You know, for them to cross, they don’t usually cross the ball, you know, because they’re not used to that. So, it worked.
“We managed to defend the crosses that they tried to send in.”
Munetsi said the idea was to express themselves and it worked.
“I think, obviously, when you play for Zimbabwe, also with the players we have, I think you’d always want to win a game of football,” he said. “But, obviously, the context was very different for us.
“We had nothing to really play for besides our pride. But we knew that South Africa were trying to fight to qualify. And most of us, I think, we played in South Africa.
“We knew how the atmosphere is. And, also, we had to remember that this was our direct opponent when it comes to the AFCON. So, I think it’s a game we could not have lost.”
Munetsi said they took lessons from the game ahead of the AFCON tournament in Morocco in December.
“I think obviously in the second half they pushed a little bit more, we could have done better when we had the ball in transition moments, but I think when you get a red card, you just have to keep fighting,’’ he said.
“We almost stole the game in the dying minutes of the game. So, I think it’s something that we can just learn from.’’
South Africa created the most chances, but the effective tactical formation that Nees threw in dealt with each and every move effectively.
As frustration hit the South Africans, the Warriors could have won it right at the death, thanks again to a brave decision by Nees to throw in the effective Tawanda Maswanhise and Emmanuel Jalai, who added a lot of speed upfront and pegged back Bafana Bafana.
Bill Antonio also came in with Jalai and Maswanhise, but he once again struggled to assert himself.
Two weeks ago Nees was a gonner! Every media house was awash with news that Nees had delayed his departure from the post of head coach of the Warriors. Sharuko was even thinking of studying for a PhD with the poor performance of Nees as his preferred thesis. Nees rises from the dead as a shrew tactician because the Warriors dented Bafana Bafana’s pursuit for World Cup glory. One then wonders who the fool is here. Is Nees a hero now or those who were making noise demanding his immediate departure are idiots?