Tadious Manyepo Zimpapers Sports Hub
WARRIORS coach Ramon Catala has challenged Zimbabwe to show character and determination as they seek a crucial victory against Equatorial Guinea in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Cameroon today.
The Group E encounter could have a significant bearing on the qualification race, with group leaders DR Congo facing Sierra Leone in the other fixture.
Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea are both on three points after two matches and will be fighting for maximum points to strengthen their chances of reaching the 2027 AFCON finals, which will be co-hosted by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
Catala believes his charges are ready for the challenge and has made it clear that nothing short of victory will satisfy him.
“We are ready. We have prepared well. We know what is at stake,” said Catala.
“We are going into this game to win. We are not in this game to draw.
“We have three points. They have three points. This is a six-pointer. If we win on Thursday (today), we will be in a very strong position. If we win today and we win again on Monday at home, then we will be in a good place.”
Catala will be hoping to secure a positive result in Cameroon before welcoming Equatorial Guinea for the return fixture at the National Sports Stadium on Monday.
The double-header could prove decisive in shaping Zimbabwe’s qualification campaign, with six points potentially taking the Warriors to nine and putting them in a strong position to secure a place at the finals.
Conversely, dropped points in either encounter would leave their campaign under pressure, making today’s assignment particularly important.
Zimbabwe opened their Group E campaign with a 3-2 victory over Sierra Leone before suffering a 2-1 defeat to DR Congo.
Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, began with a 2-0 loss to DR Congo in Kinshasa before recovering to beat Sierra Leone 1-0 in Yaounde, courtesy of an early goal from Loren Zuniga.
Both sides have demonstrated their capacity to win, setting the stage for a potentially decisive contest in Cameroon.
The Spanish coach said he had watched Equatorial Guinea several times and was familiar with the qualities of their squad, which includes Torino defender Saul Coco and Huddersfield Town’s Charles Ondo.
“I have watched Equatorial Guinea several times. I know them very well,” said Catala.
“They are a good team. They are organised. They are physical. They are experienced. They have strong characters in their squad.
“They have Saul Coco of Torino. He is a top player. He is strong, he is fast, he is good on the ball. He is their leader at the back. We have to be careful with him.
“They have Charles Ondo of Huddersfield Town. He is also a strong player. He is physical, he is disciplined. They have Santiago Eneme of Sparta Prague, they have Luis Asue, they have Loren Zuniga of Real Madrid Castilla. These are good players. We respect them.
“But we also have our own strong characters. We have Marshall Munetsi of Wolves. We have Jordan Zemura of Watford. We have Tawanda Maswanhise of Motherwell. We have Marvellous Nakamba. We have Tinotenda Kadewere. We have quality in our squad too.
“We respect Equatorial Guinea, but we do not fear them.”
Catala has assembled a blend of experience and emerging talent, with particular interest likely to centre on his selection in goal.
He has four options in Martin Mapisa, Future Sibanda, Nelson Chadya and Highlanders’ Aaron Ngwenya.
In defence, Jordan Zemura returns after 13 months on the sidelines through injury and will be eager to make an immediate impact.
Marshall Munetsi, Marvellous Nakamba, Andy Rinomhota, Abubakar Moffat and Mongameli Tshuma are expected to provide the energy and control in midfield as Zimbabwe seek to dictate proceedings.
The Warriors have enough quality to compete for victory in Cameroon, but the responsibility now rests with Catala and his players to translate their potential into a decisive performance.
Equatorial Guinea will be playing their nominal home fixture in Cameroon because their stadium in Malabo does not meet the required standards. However, they are familiar with playing in Yaounde, where they defeated Sierra Leone, and could draw confidence from that experience.
They will, however, be without first-choice goalkeeper Jesus Owono, who withdrew from the squad following a tragic incident in Spain.
Catala said Owono’s absence would not change Zimbabwe’s approach, insisting that concentration and discipline would be more important than the opposition’s personnel.
“The absence of Owono does not change anything for us. We still have to play our game. We still have to be focused. We still have to be disciplined,” he said.
“Football is about 90 minutes. It is about who wants it more. It is about who is more clinical. It is about who makes fewer mistakes.”
The Warriors know that maximum points from the double-header would significantly strengthen their prospects of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON finals, but their immediate priority is to take the first step successfully in Cameroon today.
