Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WARRIORS coach Ramon Catala insists there will be no excuses when Zimbabwe face Equatorial Guinea in a crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the National Sports Stadium today.
The match comes just days after Zimbabwe produced a subdued performance in a goalless draw against the same opponents in Cameroon, where the Nzalang Nacional hosted the first leg of the back-to-back encounter.
More than anything else, the Warriors know they need to raise their intensity at home to strengthen their position in Group E, where they are directly competing for the second AFCON qualifying ticket with Equatorial Guinea at present.
However, their preparations for the match were briefly disrupted after players raised concerns over welfare issues and delayed travel arrangements from Cameroon, which resulted in Equatorial Guinea arriving in Zimbabwe a day earlier than the hosts.
The issues nonetheless were resolved following meetings involving the players, technical team and ZIFA administration. By yesterday, the Warriors appeared focused and in good spirits ahead of today’s encounter.
Catala stressed that attention had shifted entirely to the task at hand and the long-term objective of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON finals, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
“Of course there were some issues. But no, there are no excuses. We don’t think about what happened. We have our plan of organisation, and they’re already solved. We will play tomorrow (today) the best way we can.
“We are convinced that we will be able to win. Of course, it’s an important match. The team who wins tomorrow (today) will have a lot of chances to qualify for the next AFCON.
“That’s why our team is also convinced that with the meeting we’ve done, not just in the field, but also between us, we’re ready to fight tomorrow,” said Catala.
If ever there was a game Zimbabwe needed to win in this qualifying campaign, it is this one.
The Warriors will be banking on strong support from the home crowd, with fans expected to play the role of a vital 12th man by creating an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors.
Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea head into the match tied on four points apiece. Both sides remain in pursuit of Group E leaders DR Congo, who have collected nine points from their opening three matches and face winless Sierra Leone in the reverse leg of their back-to-back encounters tomorrow.
Catala believes Zimbabwe have made significant progress despite entering the campaign as the lowest-ranked team in the group. The Warriors opened their campaign with an impressive 3-2 away victory over Sierra Leone before suffering a 2-1 home defeat to DR Congo and securing a valuable point away to Equatorial Guinea.
The Nzalang Nacional on the other hand lost 0-2 to DR Congo and beat Sierra Leone 1-0 before the stalemate with Zimbabwe.
“If we win, we put ourselves in a very good situation to get the qualification. And that’s the idea,” said Catala.
“Of course, when we started this Africa qualification, we started as the team with the worst ranking of the group. And, we have had good performances to be in the position we are today.
“We have four points. We are playing at home in front of our people and we hope we’ll be able to win that match here because it will put us in a very good position to qualify.
“So, the situation is good and also, it’s important to know for our fans that tomorrow (today) it’s a very important match and they have to push us.
“Their support will help us a lot to get the three points that will be crucial to try to qualify.”
In a move designed to boost attendance, ZIFA yesterday cut general admission ticket prices from US$20 to US$10 after CAF increased the stadium’s approved capacity to 25 000 spectators.
However, Equatorial Guinea are expected to provide stern opposition after demonstrating their quality in the reverse fixture.
The West Africans controlled large parts of the game, with match statistics from a BBC coverage giving them 85 percent of the possession to Zimbabwe’s 35 percent.
Warriors goalkeeper Nelson Chadya was the busiest of the two shot-stoppers with eight saves compared to one by his opposite number Marcos Luis Ondo.
Equatorial Guinea boast several quality players, including Torino defender Saul Coco and Sparta Praha midfielder Santiago Eneme, among others based in European leagues.
But Zimbabwe will also draw confidence from experienced campaigners such as captain Marvelous Nakamba and midfielder Marshall Munetsi.
Catala said his side would seek to build on the positives from the first encounter while striving to impose themselves more effectively in today’s contest.
“In the previous match, we drew and we get a very important point for us. I would expect to get three points tomorrow in the match. Well, we have to appreciate the game. Equatorial Guinea has a great team and they gave us a lot of difficulties. They attacked a lot, they didn’t let us circulate as we would have liked.
“As the game went on, we tried to get the point that was there. But it is true that we have organised a meeting and we will look for a way to be more dominant tomorrow. Let’s see if we can do it,” said Catala.
