MIGHTY WARRIORS PATH TO OLYMPICS RETURN NOW KNOWN

Langton Nyakwenda

Zimpapers Sports Hub

THE journey to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has officially begun for the Mighty Warriors.

They are attempting to return to the quadrennial sports showpiece for the second time since the historic appearance at Rio 2016.

Zimbabwe were drawn against fellow COSAFA opponents Malawi and the two nations will clash in the second round of the African qualifiers in October.

The Mighty Warriors were given a first round bye in the draw conducted at CAF’s headquarters in Cairo yesterday afternoon.

The six lowest-ranked African teams, according to the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings – Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros will enter the competition in the first round which kicks off during the June FIFA window.

They will play each other to determine the three teams that will join the 29 exempted teams including Zimbabwe in the second round which will be played between October 5 and 13.

Should the Mighty Warriors progress beyond the second round, they will play either Kenya or Seychelles in the third round, or simply the Round of 16.

The fourth and fifth rounds, to be also held on a knockout basis between October and December 2027, will confirm the final two nations that will represent Africa at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, United States.

Thirty-five African nations are involved in this qualifying campaign and these include Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Mighty Warriors made history when they qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games held in Brazil, becoming the only Zimbabwean football team to play at the quadrennial showpiece.

Since then, they have failed to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The history making Mighty Warriors squad included talented players like Chido Dzingirai, Lynette Mutokuto, Nobuhle Majika, Emmaculate Msipa, Rudo Neshamba, Mavis Chirandu, Marjory Nyaumwe, Erina Jeke, Rutendo Makore, Kuda Basopo and Felistas Muzongondi.