Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
COSAFA Head of Referees Felix Tangawarima says the introduction of Video Assistant Referee technology at Heart Stadium for the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026 COSAFA Qualifiers in Harare is just the beginning of a long journey for the country.
Heart Stadium, along with Ngoni in Norton, are preparing to host the tournament which begins on Thursday and runs until September 20.
Zimbabwe are hosting the tournament for the first time and coincidentally the Heart Stadium becomes the first local football facility to host VAR technology.
Tangawarima, who is also a FIFA Technical Instructor and a former Zimbabwean referee, is currently overseeing a five-day training workshop for the VAR match officials at the Yadah Hotel premises.
He said Heart Stadium has met the criteria for the implementation of VAR technology and hopes the country will embrace the technology going forward.
“This is the first set-up in Zimbabwe to see this. But I’m sure it’s not the last time. It’s just the introduction of it and it’s my hope that we will be having this on a regular basis in Zimbabwe,” said Tangawarima.
“This stadium does qualify for us to officiate with VAR. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t be here because this is a CAF tournament.
“This is a qualifier and when we inspected the stadium we found out that it qualifies for the Under-17s for us to play with VAR in this stadium. For this tournament this stadium qualifies, and we approve it to use VAR.”
Zimbabwe Under-17 team are among the 12 teams battling for the tickets to represent the region at next year’s Under-17 AFCON as well as a chance to compete for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup qualification.
Young Warriors coach Thulani Sibanda is optimistic about his team’s chances of making an impact on home soil.
Sibanda has been working with his squad for the past two weeks with the hope of ending an 18-year jinx in the regional competition.
However, there have been concerns over the state of the team’s preparedness. The team selection was only conducted a few weeks before the kick-off. But Sibanda believes they have settled for a highly competitive squad capable of winning a medal.
“I think the selection process was done transparently. I feel we selected the best team,” said Sibanda.
“We have got boys from Mutasa region in Mutare, we have got boys from Bindura, we have got boys from Dete.
“There is no way these boys could have been selected if the selection wasn’t done the way it was done. So, I am confident with the team that we have.
“We will obviously do our best and make the nation proud. Yes, football is an unpredictable sport but the preparations went according to plan and we hope, and we are optimistic, that we will get a good result out of it,” said Sibanda.
Zimbabwe have won the Under-17 regional crown only once in 2007. Until last year when they reached the semi-finals, the team had experienced poor fortunes in the tournament.
Authorities have also let the side down, after withdrawing the youth team from three editions in 2019, 2021 and 2022. The side was thrown out of the tournament in 2020 after a number of players failed the MRI eligibility test.
But there has been renewed hope after the side returned stronger and reached the semifinals last year. Scottland winger Tadiwa Chakuchichi is among the survivors of that squad along with Pamushana goalkeeper Siyanda Zimba, Awakhiwe Tshalibe of Chicken Inn, Tatenda Maulidi of Legends Academy and striker Elshadai Sadomba of Golden Eagles.
Participating teams started trooping into the country at the weekend.
The Young Warriors are the seeded team in Group A along with Mozambique, Comoros and Eswatini. Regional powerhouses Zambia and South Africa will face each other in Group B, along with Madagascar and Malawi in what looks a Group of Death.
Zambia are the defending champions in the competition and the most successful side in its history, while South Africa are next on the list of most prolific winners.
Group C contains last year’s beaten finalists Angola, Botswana, Mauritius and Lesotho. Only the top team in each pool and the best second-placed side will advance to the semifinals. ZIFA are confident of hosting a successful tournament after getting the backing of Government through the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
The Local Organising Committee led by Thomas Marambanyika will today address the stakeholders on Zimbabwe’s readiness to host the football jamboree at a press conference in Harare. The media event will also be attended by the ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi, Sports and Recreation Commission Director General Eltah Nengomasha, COSAFA Executive Director Sue Destombes and COSAFA executive member Timothy Shongwe.
