Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WARRIORS captain Marvelous Nakamba said the players must leave everything on the pitch when they face Equatorial Guinea in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the National Sports Stadium this afternoon.
The match kicks off at 3pm.
This is the second time inside four days that the two teams are clashing after their goalless draw at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon last Thursday.
Zimbabwe were off key in that fixture, but managed to grind the point which helped them take their tally to four points, two points behind Group E leaders DR Congo.
Their opponents have the same number of points, which makes today’s showdown crucial given the final whistle will mean only two games left to get the points from.
Ahead of today’s crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against, Nakamba has been brutally honest about Zimbabwe’s flat performance in Cameroon.
“We didn’t perform well in Cameroon,” Nakamba said. “We know that. We have spoken about it as a team. We were not at our best, we didn’t create enough, and we didn’t play the way we know we can play. But that game is now in the past. What matters is what we do tomorrow (today), at home, in front of our fans.”
It was a rare admission from a captain who has built his reputation on calm leadership and hard work rather than big talk and a necessary one.
Group E is delicately poised. DR Congo lead the way on six points. Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea are locked together on four points each, with Sierra Leone rooted to the bottom without a point to their name.
It is, in effect, a three-horse race, and today’s meeting in Harare could go a long way to deciding who goes through.
That is why Nakamba is not interested in excuses.
“At home, we have to play well and get a result,” he said. “We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the coach, and we owe it to the fans who will come to support us. We know Equatorial Guinea are a good team. We have to take the game to them.”
Since taking the armband, the former Aston Villa and Luton Town midfielder has become the heartbeat of this Warriors side – not just with his tackling and reading of the game, but with his standards.
Zimbabwe cannot afford to be as passive as they were in Cameroon.
“We have to be patient, but we also have to be positive,” he said. “We cannot just wait for something to happen.
“We have to make it happen. The fans want to see us fight, they want to see us play with heart. If we do that, the result will come.”
Today, in front of a home crowd desperate for something to cheer, the Warriors have their chance to show it.
A win would take Zimbabwe to seven points and put real daylight between them and Equatorial Guinea. A draw would keep things tight, but would feel like another missed opportunity.
Nakamba is not thinking about defeat.
“We didn’t perform well in Cameroon. Today, we have to perform well. Simple as that.
