Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in UYO, Nigeria
THE Warriors can no longer be bullied. Not in this age and time.
They are no longer that easy-to-beat sort.
Yes, they are virtually out of the reckoning for a place at the 2026 World Cup.
But even if they will not be in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada, as is most likely, they showed the world they have the heart after this draw at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium last night.
The manner in which they fought back, to stab the hearts of the more than 30 000 spectators who packed this venue, after falling behind with 16 minutes still to play wasn’t only heroic but some telling signs of a force in the oven.
Substitute Tawanda Chirewa stepped up to tap in the equalizer right on the stroke of full time.
By that time, Nigeria’s scorer Victor Osimhen had been substituted for Victor Boniface and keenly awaiting to be hoisted high up as a saviour of a country whose qualification fate is no longer in their hands.
It was a match Zimbabwe were tipped for a massacre.
They were never given a chance with bookmakers placing their winning odds at 1/35 and 1/17 for a draw.
But this is no mickey-mouse team of amateurs.
They boast of top talent with players spread across the competent leagues across the world.
It could have been a win for the Warriors, with a bit of lucky, maybe.
But still the point, though not big enough to give them some brighter qualification prospects, was as significant as they get.
That’s probably the biggest point they have picked in a campaign where they have drawn four games including the reverse fixture against Nigeria in November 2023.
The Warriors needed to be tactical, of course, coming against a team of so much attacking talent like Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman.
The trio, aided by their 12th man in the stands, were quite a menace in the opening stages of the game.
The 20 minute sustained attack at Zimbabwe’s goal could have seen the Warriors collapsing, any other day.
But their defensive tact, aided by goalkeeper Washington Arubi’s solidity ensured the Zimbabweans survived that spell.
There was a moment when it was literally Arubi versus Osimhen with the latter always coming second best.
With just eight minutes on the clock, Arubi dived to his right to deny the lanky Nigerian from a point blank header that was headed for his right.
Two minutes later Arubi thwarted the striker’s turn-and-shoot attempt and also stopped Samuel Chikwueze’s follow-up.
At the other end, Walter Musona should have opened the scoring when outsprinting the Nigeria rearguard only to shoot wide of Stanley Nwabali’s goal.
The second half was pretty much the same and at one point the hosts were so desperate and trying to shoot even where it was impossible.
The resoluteness of the Warriors was always going to pay them dividends but then everything went up in smoke when Osimhen was left unattended and nodded home the opener.
With only quarter of an hour on the clock, Nigeria thought they had sealed the points to make sure they kept Group C leaders South Africa who are now on 13 points in check.
And if they needed a hint of what was to come, it should have come with three minutes to full time.
A good exchange of passes on the left culminated in the ball falling on the way of Knowledge Musona who was totally unmarked and with Nwabali sprawling on the grass, he needed to just guide it in.
Shockingly, he wasn’t able to measure it up and crashed the underside of the crossbar much to the sigh of the Nigerians who by then had broken into party mood.
But Chirewa wouldn’t let them off when his quick feet helped him to emerge smarter from an acute angle.
Coach Michael Nees decided to congratulate Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry first and foremost after the most successful female Olympian in Africa won the IOC presidency last week before saluting his charges.
“We came here with the intention to win. We played well but we could only draw. It’s a big point for us. My boys did very well and with some bit if lucky we could have won,” said Nees.
It’s the second time Zimbabwe managed to rescue a point inside five days in the same competition after staging another massive act by coming from a 2-0 down to draw 2-2 last Thursday.
Teams
Nigeria: Stanley Nwabali; Ola Aina, William Troost Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Bright Osayi; Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi (Raphiel Onyenika 78min) Samuel Chukwueze (Bulu Arokodale 59min), Moses Simon; Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimehn (Victor Boniface 86min)
Zimbabwe: Washington Arubi, Emmanuel Jalai, Divine Lunga, Munashe Garananga, Gerald Takwara, Marshal Munetsi, Andy Rinomhota (Tawanda Maswanhise 84min), Jordan Zemura, Khama Billiat (Prince Dube 84min), Knowledge Musona, Walter Musona (Terrence Dzvukamanja 62min)(Tawanda Chirewa 80min)
