Mighty Warriors bolster squad: Rope in Mucherera, Kanyai for Wafcon

Their best performance was a fourth- place finish at the 2000 finals held in South Africa. Since then, the Mighty Warriors’ biggest achievement was qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Post Rio, the women’s game has taken a nosedive, largely due to various factors, with lack of support from successive ZIFA boards on top of the list.

USA-born forward Ruvimbo Mucherera and Australia-based Yolanda Kanyai have been included in Zimbabwe’s squad which will play in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) qualifiers beginning next week.

The Mighty Warriors, who began camp on Monday, are expected to play Angola as they begin their qualification campaign for the African safari.

Coach Sithethelelwe Sibanda has named strong provisional squad which includes Mucherera, who is currently playing in Israel as well as Kanyai who plays in Australia and Emmaculate Msipa who plies trade in Israel as well. Mucherera, who is 28, has been playing professional football since 2020 and boasts European Champions League experience which she attained when she was turning out for Lithuanian champions Gintra Universitetas.

She has played football in Lithuania, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, the US and is currently in Israel.

Her current club Maccabi Hadera WFC is third in the Israeli Women’s Premier League. Kanyai, a former Vainona High School student who moved to Australia to further her studies, plays for Darwin Olympic Sporting Club which competes in the NorZone Premier League which is one of three top tier state-level soccer competition in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Msipa is the other foreign-based player in the team as she plays for Israeli side Ramat Hasharon WFC as well as Danai Bhobho who is turning out for Tanzanian Young Africans and these two are expected to add experience to the team’s midfield.

Other players making the provisional squad include veteran forward Rutendo Makore who plays for Black Rhinos Queens, and teammate Mavis Chirandu, goalkeeper Lindiwe Magwede, Egness Tumbare and Ethel Chinyerere among others.

Mighty Warriors CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 Qualifiers Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers

Vanessa Lunga (Chapungu Queens), Lindiwe Magwede (Herentals Queens), Precious Mudyiwa (Black Rhinos Queens), Sasha Machona (Maningi YSA)

Defenders

Sheila Antonio (Chapungu Queens), Egness Tumbare (Correctional Queens), Nobukhosi Ncube (Chapungu Queens), Alice Moyo (Herentals Queens), Nokukhanya Ndlovu (FC Platinum Royals), Fortunate Ngocho (Black Mambas Queens), Purity Mugayi (Black Rhinos Queens)

Midfielders

Daisy Kaitano (Black Rhinos Queens), Emmaculate Msipa (Ramat Hasharon WFC, Israel), Shyline Dambamuromo (Herentals Queens), Danai Bhobho (Young Africans, Tanzania), Mavis Chirandu (Black Rhinos Queens), Christabel Katona (Black Rhinos Queens), Ennert Chemhere (FC Platinum Royals), Morelife Nyagumbo (Faithdrive Academy), Nadia Semba (Correctional Queens), Natasha Ndowa (Chapungu Queens), Patience Ndlovu (Highlanders Royals)

Forwards

Ethel Chinyerere (Chapungu Queens), Rutendo Makore (Black Rhinos Queens FC), Yolanda Kanyai (Darwin Olympic Sporting Club, Australia), Ruvimbo Mucherera (Maccabi Hadera WFC, Israel), Maud Mafuruse (Herentals Queens), Mitchel John (Harare City Queens), Anita Ncube (Faithdrive Academy) (source: zimsportlive.co.zw)