Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze in POLOKWANE, South Africa
THE Mighty Warriors have landed in South Africa with belief in their bags and a rebuild hanging over their heads.
They are a young squad stepping into a tough COSAFA campaign that will quickly show whether this new group is ready to stand up to the heat once the football starts.
Zimbabwe arrived knowing the next few days will offer the clearest sign yet of where the senior women’s national team is heading as they try to claw their way back into serious continental contention after a period of transition that is still finding its shape.
Head coach Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda has blended fresh faces with a spine of experience as she tries to mould a side she believes can push for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and Olympic qualification within three years.
The tournament offers her the first real chance to measure progress since the rebuilding exercise gathered pace late last year.
“We are looking to build a strong project that can take us into the future and that is why we brought in young players in December,” said Sibanda.
“This tournament will help us see the progress we have made and how much more work still needs to be done so that we are ready.
“I am happy that we arrived safely. We allowed the girls to rest and today we will train and prepare for tomorrow.”
Zimbabwe have been handed a tricky Group B assignment where they open against Eswatini before facing tournament favourites Zambia and Botswana, a run of fixtures that will stretch both the squad’s depth and its nerve as the new-look side searches for rhythm against seasoned opponents.
A place in the semi-finals will demand consistency across all three matches, either by topping the group or finishing among the strongest runners-up, a tall order for a team still learning how to move together under pressure.
After a group stage exit in the last edition, Sibanda wants signs that this team is growing into something stronger and insists the hunger within the squad can drive them deeper into the competition if they hold their nerve.
“So far things have been going well and our preparations were solid. As a coach I have seen improvements which show we are building something positive,” she said.
“A number of players are new and this is their first major tournament so while we want results we also need patience as they grow into the team.
“This will help us see if we are moving in the right direction with our plan to build a team that can compete on the continent, so we are taking it step by step.”
Zimbabwe lifted the COSAFA crown in 2011 and that golden generation went on to reach the Olympic Games in Brazil five years later.
