New lease of life for Mighty Warriors

Tadious Manyepo

Zimpapers Sports Hub

THE game has changed, and the new brooms ushered in at ZIFA are sweeping clean.

Voted into office a fortnight ago, the new ZIFA executive committee, fronted by Nqobile Magwizi, have started their term on a plus after committing to pay the Mighty Warriors training allowances for the period they would be in camp.

Coach Sithethelelwe “Kwinji-15” Sibanda and her troops assembled in Harare on Sunday ahead of their two-legged Women Africa Cup of Nations 2026 qualifier against Angola later this month.

They will first travel to Luanda on February 20 before hosting the return encounter at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria seven days later.

The aggregate winner of the fixture will face Malawi, who will have a bye; their opponents, Congo, withdrew from taking part in the qualifier yesterday.

The winner of the Zimbabwe/Angola versus Malawi tie will secure a place at next year’s WAFCON in Morocco.

For the Mighty Warriors, the arrival of a new leadership has given them reason to believe.

Ordinarily, the team could not have been in camp this early, and there would not have been talk around anything to do with camping allowances at this juncture.

But it’s no longer the way it used to be, and the Mighty Warriors’ welfare, which hitherto were treated as a secondary matter, will now be prioritised.

They are owed a lot, including allowances from last year’s COSAFA tournament, played in South Africa, but this leadership is starting from a clean page.

Sibanda and her team were actually surprised to see Magwizi and other members of the new board gracing their training session in Harare yesterday morning.

They are never used to that.

They have learnt how to survive like second-class citizens even when representing the nation, and they have been seemingly used to that.

All that has changed

But they had the honour of being addressed by Magwizi, who rallied them, before he handed the baton over to board member Kudzai Kadzombe to reassure them.

Then association chief executive Yvonne Manwa confirmed that the girls would be paid their daily camping allowances.

“I can tell you that the board has undertaken to pay you daily training allowances for the rest of your camp,” said Manwa.

“I am super excited to deliver this sweet news to all of you. So, let’s be focused knowing that our needs are being taken care of.”

That’s not all.

Vice-president Loveness Mukura wants their allowances to be at par with what the men’s teams receive when they represent the country.

“We are going to try and push for an equal playing ground for both women and men. We need to provide the necessary facilities that will provide the girls with the best possible environment to flourish,” said Mukura.

“We have put in place great measures for the current team for them to be able to perform well. I think the team will perform very well.”

And Magwizi pleaded with them to train hard and prepare to defend the national badge.

“The expectations of this country rest on your shoulders. Everyone is looking up to you; those in Mahusekwa, Kanyemba, and everywhere have their hopes on you,” said Magwizi.

“I implore you to put in the effort to get the work done. You have our full support, so just train well and make sure you are ready to fight for the badge.

“I am very proud of your commitment to work. You have the focus and the zeal to do well as you have always done. Be rest assured that we will support you through thick and thin.

“You are our ambassadors; just be in a ready condition to represent all of us here. You will not be seeing me regularly, but I am very happy to have met you, and I wish we always did this.

“I just have to tell you that we have you in mind, and we will always support you.”

Kadzombe said the board was fully behind the Mighty Warriors’ quest for WAFCON qualification.

“The pride of Zimbabwe is on your shoulders, and I know you are holding the aspirations of all the girls in Zimbabwe.

“This opportunity that you have earned from your hard work should be a platform where you can shine as an individual.

“As you work hard for the nation, also work hard for yourself. No one can take away the pride that you have worked so hard for, and let me congratulate you,” said Kadzombe.

“Just do your best. We are hopeful that you are going to take Zimbabwe to the greatest level possible. You have our full and undivided support.

“No longer will you be a second class, but you will be treated the way you ought to be treated. As you do your part, our board will also do their part to ensure you get the requisite support.”