Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
WHEN the ball slipped through his hands on Monday night at the National Sports Stadium, it felt like a painful replay Zimbabwean football fans had seen before.
The Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team, fondly referred to as the Warriors, has a strong history of producing standout talent in specific positions like goalkeeper, striker and winger, as well as central and defensive midfield.
Legendary Bruce Grobbelaar, who won six English Premiership titles and a European Cup with Liverpool, Japhet ‘Short Cat’ Mparutsa, Brenna ‘Baba vaGari’ Msiska, Gift Muzadzi, Energy Murambadoro, Tapiwa Kapini, Washington Arubi, the late George Chigova among others, are goalkeepers who left a lasting impression after their days with the national team.
The late Benjamin Nkonjera, Norman Mapeza, Esrom Nyandoro, Tinashe Nengomasha and Willard Katsande rank among the best defensive midfielders in the history of the Zimbabwe national football team – all of whom exhibited tenacious defensive midfield skills and dominated domestic and international assignments with uncompromising grit.
Peter Ndlovu, who stands as the greatest and most successful striker in the history of the Zimbabwe Warriors, leading the national team’s all-time scoring charts with 38 goals in 100 appearances, together with his late brother, Adam, Moses Chunga, Agent Sawu, among many others, are names of strikers that, not only once donned the national team jersey, but did so with aplomb.
Be that as it may, to date the Warriors Class of 2026, a team that kick-started its Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on a high with an impressive 3-2 triumph over Sierra Leone, slumped to a morale sapping 1-2 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the National Sports Stadium on Monday.
Both results left many pundits questioning the suitability of Magesi FC goalkeeper, Elvis Chipezeze, as the best of what we have for the senior men’s national team.
While Chipezeze could be performing well at his club, national team assignments can be a different ball game altogether and former Warriors striker Benjani Mwaruwari’s performance with the national team can attest to this truism.
Elvis Chipezeze is frequently labelled the fall guy for the Warriors following high-profile goalkeeping errors and his reputation for this label began during the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
Thrown into the starting line-up at the last minute due to an injury to first-choice keeper, George Chigova, Chipezeze endured a difficult night where defensive errors and costly mistakes contributed to a 4-0 defeat against the DRC, resulting in Zimbabwe’s elimination.
The narrative resurfaced on Monday night following a 2027 AFCON qualifying match where Zimbabwe suffered a 1-2 loss to the DRC, with critics pointing to an early cross-handling error that led to a goal.
Post Sport talked to different football enthusiasts in Manicaland Province who aired their opinions on the Warriors performance.
Football administrator Aaron Dzvete, said: “Warriors second half performance after the changes showed character despite not matching the visitors pound for pound. It is work in progress. Let us give the technical team support. On Chipezeze, I think he is generally not lucky with Warriors though exposure wise he is better placed for the Number One spot after Arubi and others. I was impressed overall by Musendami and with time, he is a gem.”
UK-based Mutare junior football financier, Leo Mutsotso, said: “We need to do something on our goalkeeping. Those blunders are costing us. Also, our defence is little bit slow (Garan’anga and Kelvin Moyo).”
Sakubva-based Mutare sports administrator, Tendai ‘Sir’ Greene, said: “ZIFA has failed us time and again by hiring these Mickey Mouse coaches. Why does it seem stylish for ZIFA to hire these foreign coaches who have no proven track records? ZIFA say they are broke financially and hopefully not mentally too. Why strain the limited resources to hire a foreign physical trainer to coach our national team?
“Why not invest locally? We have capable local coaches who can do the same job, coaches who will do anything with the limited resources availed to them. I will always blame ZIFA and whoever will be on that seat, just like any fish of any kind or type, they will always start to rot from the head. Walter Magaya, though he did not possess the required educational qualifications, was a better candidate.
“The selection of the national team players proves my point that it is not fair and heavily compromised. It is not fair and its captured. It is not a true reflection of the abundant talent we have as a country. The current crop has failed the nation, and with sound home grown technical team, we would even have a 17-year-old in our national team. These tourist coaches have no time to move around the deep end of the country to unearth talent.”
Former Mutare City Rovers administrator, Tatenda Nhamarare, said: “We were poor in defence and conceded two silly goals. We failed to utilise the opportunities that came our side.
“However, there is still room for improvement especially our defence, starting with the goalkeeping department, and I strongly feel we need aggressive central defenders who cannot be bullied by opposing strikers.”
