Innocent Kurira [email protected]
ZIMBABWE’S record 7-0 home defeat to Malawi was more than a humiliating result. It was a stark warning that the Mighty Warriors’ struggles have reached a point where the country must confront years of stagnation in women’s football.
The loss, which completed a 9-0 aggregate defeat in the Olympic qualifiers, was the heaviest in the senior women’s national team’s history and raised uncomfortable questions about Zimbabwe’s ability to compete with its regional rivals.
Heavy defeats are not new to the Mighty Warriors.
They lost 6-0 to Nigeria in 2000, suffered 6-1 defeats to Germany and Australia at the 2016
Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and were beaten 5-0 by Zambia in an Olympic qualifier in 2019.
But the Malawi result carries a different weight. This time, Zimbabwe were overwhelmed at home
by a regional rival, exposing a gap that can no longer be dismissed as the difference between the
Mighty Warriors and the world’s elite.
There was a time when Zimbabwean football fans expected the Mighty Warriors to compete
confidently against teams such as Malawi, drawing on their experience, talent and reputation in
women’s football.
Now, the 9-0 aggregate defeat tells a different story.
It is a story of a team that has struggled to keep pace with the changing demands of the game, while
other countries in Southern Africa have invested in their women’s football structures, improved
their competitiveness and steadily raised their standards.
The temptation after such a heavy defeat is to focus on the coach, Stella Gotal, dissect every tactical
decision and demand answers from the technical team. Those questions are legitimate, particularly
after conceding seven goals on home soil. However, stopping there would be an easy way out of a
much bigger problem.
Zimbabwe must confront the uncomfortable possibility that this defeat reflects years of stagnation,
and perhaps regression, in a football environment where standing still means falling behind.
Analyst Praise Dhlakama believes the defeat was a cruel but necessary wake-up call for
Zimbabwean football.
“It was an eye-opener for us to realise where we are and the distance we have to cover to catch up
with the giants of women’s football. So now is the time to cast the net wider in terms of national
team player selection and also improve the state of our domestic leagues,” said Dhlakama.
On criticism of the coach, he said:
“It’s too early to talk about the coach. Yes, she started on a bad note, but we also have to look at the
short timeframe to work on combinations and the quality of opposition we faced. Malawi is now a
giant in women’s football.”
Ardent women’s football follower and blogger Buhle Ncube believes the coach’s approach
contributed to the outcome, but also sees a need for more regular competition to improve the
national team.
“The new coach tried to change too many things in a short space of time, which backfired. Malawi is
the strongest team in the region at the moment, but a 7-0 defeat was a real embarrassment.
Technically, she failed. Malawi exposed her analytical side, or rather her reading of the game. The
way forward is to start having more friendlies for the team. That will help identify the team’s
weaknesses and strengths to assist the technical team,” he said.
Ncube’s criticism highlights the immediate concerns surrounding the technical team, but the call
for more friendlies also points to a broader need for good preparations.
Samukeliso Nkomo insists football has no shortcuts, arguing that expectations of the senior team
must be matched by investment in the players coming through the ranks.
“Football is a process. You cannot expect the senior team to deliver when the grassroots structures
are not in place. The future of the Mighty Warriors must be built from the grassroot, invest in young
girls, strengthen junior football and develop talent. Without a solid foundation, positive results will
remain a wish and not a reality.”
Malawi’s progress should not be treated as an inexplicable sporting miracle. It should instead force
Zimbabwe to ask what its neighbours have done differently, what lessons can be learnt and why the
Mighty Warriors have struggled to maintain their former standing.
The gap is no longer something Zimbabwe can afford to ignore.
The 7-0 defeat must not become an excuse to write off the players or place the entire burden of
failure on one coach. Instead, it should prompt an honest assessment of the structures, investment
and planning behind women’s football in the country.
