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Warriors coach Michael Nees has given his seal of approval to newly elected Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) president Nqobile Magwizi after a brief but promising conversation in Morocco.
Nees and Magwizi met last Monday in Rabat while attending the AFCON draw. The two posed for a photo together, and now the German coach has shared more details about their interaction.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail, Nees described their exchange as “very good” and believes it laid the foundation for a crucial year ahead in Zimbabwean football.
“I am actually excited. There were lots of people at the draw, so it’s not like we sat down for one or two hours. However, from that short conversation, I’m very positive Zimbabwe can really drive in a positive direction,” said the German gaffer.
Nees also weighed in on the challenges Zimbabwe faces in the coming months, with the Warriors preparing for both World Cup qualifiers and the AFCON finals.
Zimbabwe is set to face Benin (home) and Nigeria (away) between March 17 and 24 during the first international break of the year—crucial matches that could resuscitate their World Cup qualification hopes.
“It’s a double project. On one hand, we have to develop towards the AFCON finals while, on the other, we have to immediately perform well in the World Cup qualifiers,” Nees explained.
While juggling both goals presents a challenge, Nees remains focused on taking things one step at a time.
“It’s sort of a contradiction and sometimes it could bite us, but we have to manage. Let’s do the job as good as possible and take it step-by-step,” Nees said.
Despite Zimbabwe’s rocky start in the World Cup qualifiers, Nees hasn’t given up hope just yet.
The Warriors sit at the bottom of Group C with just two points from four matches. Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin currently lead with seven points each, while Lesotho has five and Nigeria trails with three.
While Nees admits Zimbabwe’s chances are “very slim,” he remains optimistic that with the right approach, they can still turn things around. (iharare)
Online Reporter