Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
MIGHTY Warriors coach Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda stood in Harare this week and said the quiet part out loud.
Zimbabwe’s women’s football future will not be rescued by slogans or nostalgia. It will be shaped by how early girls are exposed to international football, and how honestly the country measures itself against Africa’s fast movers.
With ZIFA turning the page after another group stage exit at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Sibanda is already looking ahead.
The calendar leaves little room for sentiment. The 2027 AFCON qualifiers begin in March, even though Zimbabwe skip the preliminary round, and in April the Under 17 Mighty Warriors face Uganda in the first round of the FIFA 2026 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
For Sibanda, that April fixture matters more than most fans realise.
“These games are very important,” she said. “The girls don’t only get exposure, they get development. That’s how the women’s game grows.”
Zimbabwe’s Under 17 side was formally entered into the World Cup qualifiers by ZIFA earlier this month, a move Sibanda publicly backed after years of stop start junior planning.
“I have to applaud ZIFA for registering the girls,” she said.
“When these players reach the senior national team, they won’t be shocked by international football. They will have been there before.”
Sibanda, a former Mighty Warriors mainstay herself, warned supporters against living off past reputation.
“Let me be frank,” she said. “We need to stop thinking we are better just because we were better before. We are only as good as how we prepare and how we invest.”
Her point cuts to the heart of the issue. African women’s football has moved quickly. Countries that once chased Zimbabwe are now full time, structured, and constantly competing. Zimbabwe, by contrast, is still juggling irregular domestic seasons and limited international exposure.
“These days it’s about how much you put into the game,” Sibanda said. “How many competitions you play. How much you invest in the players. Exposure decides everything.”
The Under 17 qualifiers offer a rare chance to change the cycle, but time is already working against Zimbabwe. The women’s leagues are expected to start late March or early April, dangerously close to the qualifiers.
“We could be at risk,” Sibanda said. “The players will be coming straight from the off season. Fitness becomes a problem.”
She pointed to a long running structural flaw. Clubs often delay preseason work because league start dates shift every year.
“Most teams only start training in February or even March,” she said. “There’s no fixed league calendar, so clubs don’t invest early in preparation. That affects the national teams.”
Sibanda wants earlier national camp planning to bridge that gap and avoid throwing teenagers into international qualifiers undercooked.
Looking beyond April, she sees the current Under 17 group as the spine of the next Mighty Warriors cycle.
“When these juniors play in international competitions, my job at senior level becomes easier,” she said. “You work with players who already understand the level.”
Mathew Masinge