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Dear Mighty Warriors
Girls you have done Zimbabwe proud. Well done for bringing so much joy to the nation. As Zimbabwe Women Football, alongside the entire nation, we applaud our daughters, your tenacity that culminated in your qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Sunday 18 2015 at Rufaro Stadium. Makorokoto. Amhlope. Congratulations. Zimbabwe Women Football is walking tall since your victory over Cameroon.
We are ecstatic like parents whose daughter has had lobola paid. Proud, because few among our relatives and friends, including your very own grandparents – Zimbabwe Football Association — gave you the chance of catching the eye of such a worthy groom. That you got your groom to pay lobola has made us delirious with joy.
We cannot wait for your wedding day in Rio de Janeiro come August 2016. Our pride is heartfelt. We do not take it lightly for we know what you endured to get to Sunday. We give thanks to the Almighty for his favour upon you all as a team.
As we celebrate we do not forget how you would camp at the ZIFA Village with inadequate resources, sometimes skipping crucial meals. When one of you was injured, you relied on the goodness of the medical team led by Doctor Margaret Maulana, who often went beyond the call of duty buying you food and medicines to ensure you remained fit to compete.
Girls, the beautiful sport you play is classified as a team sport by the International Olympics Committee. A team sport is any sport which involves two or more players working together towards a shared objective. In your case, your team went far beyond the squad of 18 players.
And in keeping with the spirit of ubuntu, we must as ZWF, acknowledge and applaud them too for being part of your efforts. We acknowledge Government through the Ministry of Sport for giving us, as ZWF, the opportunity to organise and play women football in our country. We do not take our freedom to participate in sport for granted.
We appreciate the efforts of the incumbent Minister of Sport, Honourable Makhosini Hlongwane. Since his appointment, he has shown that he has women football at heart. We have seen how his presence and constant interaction with you has encouraged you to work harder.
We do not forget the contribution of Honourable Andrew Langa and his former deputy, now Minister of State in Vice President Mphoko’s Office, Honourable Tabetha Malinga-Kanengoni; they worked hard to ensure we remained in the game alongside the Sports and Recreation Commission.
Special mention goes to the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Honourable Walter Chidhakwa and his deputy Honourable Fred Moyo, who took up the burden to ensure you fulfilled your earlier assignments and made it possible for the then Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture and ZWF chairperson to travel to Accra, Ghana, to cheer you on.
Women football pays tribute to large and small corporates that include LM Auctioneers, Herentals Group of Colleges and Nestle Zimbabwe, Prophet Magaya and individuals who contributed to keep the dream alive. We are grateful for all the financial and material support they rendered from buying boots, food, hygiene products and giving you bus fare to come into camp or go back home.
It contributed to you being Rio bound today. A big thank you to your clubs especially those affiliated to the National Super League. Without these clubs, as players, you are nothing. It is at your clubs that you were nurtured and primed for national team participation. A big thank you to the clubs that resolved to play on with little or no sponsorship and no promise of league prizes.
We are grateful to the clubs that bought into our vision as ZWF national executive that we needed to play first before we could go out looking for sponsorship. If we had remained dormant, as happened in the 2013 season, would we be celebrating today? We applaud your club administrators for ensuring you had competitive game time despite the difficult playing environment that was created by detractors who until their Road to Damascus moment on Sunday, deemed your endeavours “petty” and not worthy of support.
We salute your clubs for playing on in the face of numerous threats of suspension, withdrawal of referees and withholding of our league support from FIFA. We say thank to National Super League clubs and some regional clubs for ensuring that each Mighty Warrior was fit to compete. We cannot forget the coaches who started off the campaign to Rio. We applaud Rose Mugadza, Ndega Matsika, Fungai Nyamutukwa and Mebelo Jekwa for laying the foundation and for graciously handing over the baton when asked to do so.
We applaud not just their technical contribution but their positive and passionate attitude that saw them come and sit on the terraces last Sunday cheering you on. Mighty Warriors, as you celebrate, please know every Zimbabwean has played a part in the success we are celebrating. A special thank you to your parents, guardians and spouses for allowing you to play football despite the often poor or no remuneration.
We appreciate them for allowing you the space and support to showcase your talent. We appreciate the fans who came out to watch and cheer you on, particularly the Mbare Chimurenga Choir who travelled with you to Zambia and boosted your morale in Lusaka during the first game of the Olympic qualifiers. Soon the celebrations will die down, as they must, and we have to start preparing for the big day in Rio. We are optimistic that your success thus far will encourage more people to come out and support you.
On our part as the bona-fide elected leaders of women football, we will work to ensure that there are little or no distractions in the preparations. Rio is a national dream come true. Collectively, and in the true spirit of Ubuntu, we all have to put the tribulations of the past aside and focus on improving our game both on and off the field on play.
Thank you!
Go Mighty Warriors Go!
With love and gratitude
Mai Sibanda
Zimbabwe Women Football national chairperson
Online Reporter