Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in UYO, Nigeria
WARRIORS coach Michael Nees feels his team can still clip a 2026 World Cup qualification even if it means doing that in the longest format available.
Zimbabwe have remained rooted at the base of Group C with four points, nine behind leaders South Africa, after drawing both of their last qualifiers against Benin and Nigeria.
While Zimbabwe’s chances of tracking down leaders South Africa to win the sole automatic ticket to Canada, Mexico and the United States of America are now slim, Nees believes the Warriors can still make it via play-offs.
“We are obviously in a difficult qualification group, we qualified for the AFCON, and we are happy. But in the World Cup, as long as there’s a theory and a chance, we will give everything to qualify, no matter against which team. And that’s it,” said Nees.
“But of course, we are not in the best position. But let me be honest, this group is very unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going on, even with the second position, because some groups have only four teams and the matches against the second class will be for third.
“So you don’t even know who are the four best runners-up until the final minute. So that’s what we’re doing”.
Nees hailed his charges’ fighting spirit after the heroic two comebacks against the two West African neighbours.
“We approach every game differently. If we can talk of the Benin match, we started very badly with costly errors.
“The fighting spirit is absolutely fantastic. I am very happy with that.”
Nees said the match against Nigeria was winnable and his tactics confirmed that as well.
“I think everybody could see. The match actually evolved as we anticipated. We knew that Nigeria has a little bit now gained confidence after the win in their problem opponent, Rwanda, so a little bit in the past. And they came with a little bit more confidence and they wanted to turn the World Cup qualification around. And we knew the longer the game goes, the slower they were going to get. And it was exactly the way it was going. Of course, they then scored, but I think we showed that we don’t give up. And I think two, three or more minutes, we would come home with a win.
“And one or two more attacks, I think we could have finished the job. It’s clear we cannot come here (Nigeria) under such conditions, 35 Degrees Celsius, I don’t know, 90 percent humidity, to come to a team like Nigeria and think we can outplay them from the first to the last minute.
“We know where we stand. But I think we showed we can play football. We didn’t come here with a five or six pack or whatsoever and pack the bus. We played football. Nigeria started very aggressively. Then in the second half, they wanted again to finish the business. It didn’t work out. We resisted. We showed resilience. Our team actually played like I know them.
“A 90 minutes match under such conditions, you cannot play high power football 90 minutes.
“When we were in Cameroon (for AFCON qualification last year), they couldn’t do it. No team can do it. So, clearly you must play a little bit strategic-wise and use your energy-wise and wait for chances, create your chances. Let me be honest, I’m very satisfied about our performance. But we wanted to come to win.
“You don’t believe it, but I think at the end you saw it. Okay, people didn’t believe it. But we came here, we wanted to win.
“But the game evolved as we anticipated. And we knew when things don’t go 100 percent the Nigerian way, they get frustrated.
“And then we panic and the pressure is definitely much more on Nigeria.
“And I said before, the World Cup qualification is over when it’s over. If it was for us over, then it was also for Nigeria as well.”
The last four qualification games will be played in September and October.
