MASWANHISE WANTS MORE

Tadious Manyepo

Zimpapers Sport

AFTER scoring a huge goal in his first Warriors start, speedy winger Tawanda Maswanhise is keen to take the momentum into Zimbabwe’s final 2025 AFCON roup J qualifier against Cameroon tomorrow.

The Warriors play the Indomitable Lions at the Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde.

Both teams have sealed their places at the AFCON finals to be staged in Morocco late next year and their meeting will determine group winners in a pool that also has Namibia and Kenya.

Zimbabwe sealed their qualification when picking a 1-1 draw against Kenya at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in South Africa last Friday.

Maswanhise was handed his first start for the national team with coach Michael Nees cogniSant of how the 21-year-old has been performing at his Scottish Premier League side Motherwell.

The winger repaid the trust with a stellar show that he capped with a goal that ultimately earned Zimbabwe the point they were looking for to seal their sixth appearance at the AFCON jamboree.

The Warriors will now face Cameroon and a win will see them topping the group.

And Maswanhise is eager to once again go for the grind against a bigger opponent.

“I am very happy to have taken off the line in terms of scoring for the Warriors.

“It is something that as a player you always want to do and the opportunity presented itself at the grandest of stages.

“I am happy the goal eventually took us to the AFCON finals and it is something very encouraging to be involved in such high octane games,” said Maswanhise.

“The goal gave me the wings and I could have possibly gotten another one in the second half or two actually. But lady luck wasn’t on my side.

“Nevertheless, I am well motivated going into our next match against Cameroon.

“It’s a game we all know we have to win. We are never going to lack the will and desire that we showed against Kenya.”

He added:

“We need the full points and the only way we should do is by beating Cameroon.

“The football landscape has changed a lot and it is high time we start rising as Zimbabwe because I think we have a solid group of players who are talented and playing in top leagues across the world.”

The former Leicester City development player is one of the many players who had never tasted the feeling of sealing an AFCON qualification.