adminVeronica Gwaze-Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE senior Women’s football coach Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda has called for unwavering support for the Mighty Warriors ahead of the COSAFA Women’s Championship at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Gqeberha, South Africa.
The Mighty Warriors regrouped at the weekend in preparation for the 14-team regional tournament slated for October 22 to November 2.
Former champions Zimbabwe are in Group D together with Mozambique and Lesotho
They are set to play Mozambique in their first assignment on October 24 before taking on Lesotho three days later.
Log leaders from each of the four groups will proceed to the semi-finals.
Having been part of the Mighty Warriors set up during their glorious times, Sibanda believes that with enough support, Zimbabwe can reclaim its position as a force in continental women’s football.
“For years, it has always been about passion and dedication for the girls and you wish for a changed narrative, they need the motivation,” she said.
“They need all the support in representing the nation, they have all the pressure of carrying hopes of the nation’s success so everyone has a part to play.
“We will compete with purpose, and discipline because we desire to win.”
While a number of their regional rivals have been progressing over the years, the Mighty Warriors have been on a slide, owing largely to the neglect that the Women’s game in Zimbabwe suffered at the hands of the previous ZIFA leadership.
From the highs of reaching the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in the same year, the Mighty Warriors have been a pale shadow of the side that once held the nation spellbound with their exploits.
Sibanda has been around long enough to witness the team’s decline for which she starred before venturing into coaching.
The Chapungu Queens coach believes that structural issues within the game’s development pathways, cut off by ZIFA, have contributed to the demise of women football in Zimbabwe.
She also attributed the decline to some inconsistencies in investment in the game, which forced some teams to fold and other gifted players to quit playing.
“Also, the game is evolving and as coaches, we need to move with time to equip our players with modern football trends.
“This will help us enhance competitiveness at all playing levels, in return attracting more resources.”
Sibanda has sought to rebuild the Mighty Warriors using a blend of youth and experience. She has resultantly appealed for patience and time to rebuild and also create a wider player base.
Sibanda argued that the national feeder systems need further development to unlock all the potential the country has across its provinces.
“I believe we have a lot of potential in Zimbabwe but we need a more structured approach to tap into it and nurture the talent.
“Considering where we are coming from, it will not be easy, so there is a need for everyone to be hands on the deck for a common purpose.
“We wish for continued support in terms of resources, infrastructure, and development programmes from the authorities and everything will fall into place.
“There is a need for patience and a bit of tolerance for us to produce the results, it is not an overnight thing so we need to trust the process.
“Trying to identify and integrate young players who are coming from different development teams and clubs will give us the results we need,” Sibanda said.
Online Reporter