Online Reporter
H-Metro Editor-Robson Sharuko
IN King Shaka’s heartland, the Warriors finally showed the fighting spirit associated with their name, the indomitable spirit associated with their nickname and gave their fans a reason to smile in the gloom of a disastrous 2026 World Cup campaign.
They could not have chosen a better city, or better province, for a demonstration of the Warrior spirit which, in the days of the Dream Team, took them within just 90 minutes of a place at the 1994 World Cup finals.
Durban is the glamour city of KwaZulu Natal, the sprawling province which was the home of King Shaka, who created a powerful kingdom by transforming his Zulu warriors into conquerors who destroyed everything in their way.
It was this South African city that the Warriors chose to be their home for one final battle against a Bafana Bafana side guided by a coach, Hugo Broos, who felt Marvelous Nakamba and his teammates were lightweight opponents.
In a way, there was some justification to Broos’ assessment because the Warriors arrived with just four points in the bag, from a possible 24 points, half of which were lost in defeats, including an embarrassing one at the hands of Lesotho.
Maybe, it is the crude manner in which he said it, which was tantamount to mocking the Warriors as a team that was out of depth at this level of the game, which made Broos’ assessment feel like a blow below the belt.
It could have played a part in evoking the true warrior spirit we saw from Nakamba and his men as they fought gallantly and were rewarded with a point despite playing a significant chunk of the second half a man short.
Admittedly, the Warriors rode their luck at times, with the South Africans twice hitting the post, but the goalposts are part of the game, and the mission is not to strike a ball that kisses them but to strike one which avoids contact with them.
Washington Arubi appears to be turning into a better goalkeeper the more he is ageing, and he was at his imperious best on Friday night as he commanded his defence with authority and repelled the Bafana Bafana attacks.
On the occasion he was beaten, when Lyle Foster rounded him and struck at goal, Divine Lunga was there to clear from the line.
Munashe Garananga does not get the headlines he deserves and it is probably largely because he is a reserved man who just wants to let his football do all the talking but he has been a pillar of strength in central defence.
What we saw on Friday night was a team effort by the Warriors, every man on the field fighting for the team’s cause, raising his game and representing his nation with a sense of pride.
It was a good point to win and the impact that Kaitano Tembo, a steely Warrior himself who was part of the pioneer group that featured at our maiden appearance at the AFCON finals, was evident.
Tembo and his boss Michael Nees appear to have set out their team not to lose rather than chasing a win, and it is understandable given the side’s poor run and the quality of their opponents who, until FIFA deducted three points from their tally, were in cruise mode to qualify for the World Cup.
But while the German coach’s conservative approach can occasionally win a point against Bafana Bafana in their backyard, there is concern that this is holding back a group of exciting forwards whose talent, and explosiveness, is being sacrificed for the industry of the veterans.
Tawanda Maswanhise has an AFCON-qualifying goal to his credit and when he was introduced in the second half, it quickly became clear that he offered the kind of pace and trickery down the right channel which had the capacity to open Bafana Bafana.
One can only wonder the damage he could have done if he had been introduced, let us say, at the start of the match.
Bill Antonio is another explosive young winger but we have not seen the best of him and, on Friday night, he was introduced with just three minutes of regulation time left.
Jonah Fabisch was introduced in time added on, while Emmanuel Jalai was given the last four minutes of regulation time, and the six minutes of time added on, to help the team.
Nees has said in these final World Cup qualifiers, his players are making a case for themselves to be included in the squad for the AFCON finals in Morocco, even though the names of those who are going have already been leaked in some ZIFA documents.
Nees needs to unleash the beast in his team and he has many aces in his pack which he should trust because someone who is starring for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on a weekly basis cannot be deemed to be a lesser player, in terms of quality, when compared to those playing in the local scene.
This is a generation of competitive Warriors, in which Marshall Munetsi has emerged as the heart and soul of the team, and picking up points in Nigeria, South Africa and Rwanda shows the potential that they have.
Maybe, just maybe, it is time for Nees to unleash the beast, the King Shaka, in this group of Warriors.
