Warriors: Mukadota Drama Season 2025

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
IF the assumption that a football team’s performance on the field of play is a reflection of its technical department’s aptitude as well as its administration’s proficiency – then the country’s best supported sport is in deep trouble!
After all, when governance works, talent breathes.
The Warriors, whose performance is a far cry from the implication of their moniker, conspired to disappoint millions of passionate fans when they ended their 2025 Africa Cup of National finals in Marrakech, Morocco rooted at the basement of the four-team group stage log standings.
Not even captain, Marvelous Nakamba’s ceremonial apology seems enough to atone for the huge disappointment and embarrassment suffered by the nation. In fact, from the onset, this campaign was doomed! It all begun with the incomprehensible and senseless decision to drop Marshal Munetsi from the list of players that were bound to do national duty in Morocco.
Munetsi is now 29, and at the peak of his athletic powers, and this is the Afcon where he would have shone brightest.
He revealed that he is part of the generation which were blown away when the Warriors qualified for the Afcon for the first time, when he was just a boy, and has always carried the hunger to do well at the tournament.
It was also revealed that the Wolves midfielder had been battling behind the scenes to persuade Warriors coach, Mariana “Super Mario” Marinica to include him in the squad for the Afcon finals despite reports that he was injured.
Munetsi told the not-so-super ‘Super Mario’ that ZIFA should use the national team doctors to assess him and pronounce if he was not fit for the Afcon finals.

In an interview with our sister paper, HMetro, Munetsi said: “I played the first two games of the qualifiers versus Kenya and Cameroon whilst my wife was in hospital after having a miscarriage and she trusted me enough to stay there and make my country proud,” said Munetsi in his communication with the Warriors coach.
“We did that and qualified for Afcon and taking that away from me and her is something that I can’t even put into words. My club did not say I cannot play in the group stages, they just said the first game would be a risk and I have done everything you asked in reference to the request you made about a new email. I just do not think this is about football anymore because if I was really needed and important to the team then your message would be different. It’s time for me to move on from this chapter.”
This marked the beginning of a series of blunders, most of them on the field of play, that were least expected of a serious football senior national team.
This is what the owners of the game had to say, read on…
James Lunga Meya, SA
Zimbabwe’s Warriors exited the Afcon group stages in Marrakech with more questions than answers, their 2-3 defeat to South Africa confirming a campaign that promised much, but delivered too little.
While the team showed moments of attacking intent and courage, those flashes were outweighed by recurring defensive lapses, poor game management, and an inability to impose themselves when pressure peaked.

For a nation that expected progress, the performances fell short of the standards required at this level and left supporters frustrated by what felt like a missed opportunity.
If there was one consistent positive, it was the excellence of Washington Arubi between the posts. From the opening match, Arubi’s superb goalkeeping prevented heavier defeats and underlined his importance to the side.
Beyond him, the squad’s talent and fighting spirit suggest real potential, but potential alone is no longer enough. The Warriors must translate promise into discipline, structure, and results. The disappointment in Marrakech should serve as a turning point, because Zimbabwean football — and its supporters — deserve far better than another early AFCON exit.
Calvin Mapangisana, Fairbridge, Mutare
Zimbabwe’s Afcon 2025 campaign in Morocco ultimately ended in the familiar heartbreak of a group-stage exit.
For ordinary Zimbabweans, this tournament carried weight far beyond the pitch, serving as a rare beacon of national unity and hope amidst ongoing socio-economic challenges.
The “Warriors” moniker became a symbol of the people’s own resilience, and the belief that this squad would finally reach the knockout stages was palpable across the country and the diaspora.
Consequently, the exit feels less like a sporting failure and more like a missed opportunity for a national “new chapter.” While the performance earned respect for its “nothing to lose” intensity, the late collapses served as a painful reminder of the thin margins between progress and the status quo, leaving fans once again looking towards the future with a mixture of pride and “what if.”
Justice Chikoo, Chipinge
Nakamba has gone past his sell by date. He is too soft for a midfielder. Lunga is alright, but not for national team standards. Basically, Zimbabwe football will never improve when you have limited resources. The country does not have age group football and rely on guys from overseas players. There is no identity and always hire funny coaches why did Michael Nees leave?
Donald Manhende, Sakubva, Mutare
We were relying on counter attacks mostly playing high balls (aerial balls) which we failed to capitalise on, technically we lost it since we were too much sitting back
No creative midfielder, whenever we had possession we could easily lose it due to stray passes and we conceded so easily meaning our concentration was lacking. I also think our players were not selected on merit.