WARRIORS NIGHTMARE CONTINUES

Zimpapers Sports Hub

Benin … (0) 1

Zimbabwe…. 0

ANY faint hopes that Zimbabwe had of gatecrashing into the FIFA 2026 World Cup evaporated in the heat at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire with the Warriors remaining winless after they fell to Benin in a Group C encounter yesterday.

As the World Cup African Zone qualification marathon resumed across the continent, the Warriors still found themselves with the Group C unwanted record.

They are the only team in the group without a win after the first of the Match-day seven fixtures.

Zimbabwe’s poor run, presided over by three coaches — Baltemar Britto, Jairos Tapera and now Michael Nees — just seems like it is not about to end soon.

Last night’s defeat, their third in the campaign, extinguished the slim hopes that the Warriors were holding onto of not only winning to revive their chances but one which need other results in Group to also go in their favour.

Benin captain Steve Mounie scored the only goal of the game with a header in the 77 minutes after the Warriors were caught napping and allowed Yohan Roche to send into the box a high ball that was met at the back post by the unmarked FC Augsburg star.

The goal compounded the Warriors fortunes as Zimbabwe remained the only team yet to win a match in Group C.

With four points in the bag from seven outings, Zimbabwe’s fate was sealed after neighbours South Africa crashed Lesotho 3-0 to cement their place at the top with 16 points, going into the last three rounds of matches.

The Cheetahs of Benin are still fancying their chances as they moved up to the second spot, five points behind Bafana Bafana after taking their own tally to 11 points.

Interestingly, this was Benin’s first win in almost a year, since their 3-0 triumph over Rwanda in October 2024 in Abidjan in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

To keep alive mathematical chances of staying in contention, the Warriors needed to win last night’s match, hosted in Cote d’Ivoire since Benin, just like Zimbabwe do not have a CAF-approved home ground of their own.

Nees’ men put on a commendable shift in the first half but they were not effective in the final third.

Benin goalkeeper Marcel Ndandjinou made a very good save when he scooped out a header by Munashe Garan’anga from veteran Knowledge Musona’s free-kick midway through the first half.

Then Warriors forward Tino Kadewere connected Tawanda Maswanhise’s cross well in the 37th minute but the shot was blocked right inside the box.

Once Benin settled in, Zimbabwe looked to be content with defending and soaking the Cheetahs’ pressure.

But they seated too deep and were duly punished.

Benin could have taken the lead with a bit of luck at the nick of half-time.

However, goalkeeper Washington Arubi kept the Warriors in the game with an incredible reflex to stop a header, planted in with both force and precision at the back post by Mounie. ut there was nothing he could do when Mounie returned with another header in the 77th minute.

The result means the Warriors will have to wait until 2027 when another qualification marathon for the 2030 World Cup begins.

As they look to fly out to South Africa where they host Rwanda at the Orlando stadium in Johannesburg, the Warriors will now be playing for pride and try and strengthen their combinations for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco in December.

Zimbabwe will host Rwanda on Tuesday while Benin face Lesotho.

The Warriors will then wind up the qualification campaign against group leaders Bafana Bafana and Nigeria in South Africa next month.

Nigeria, who also got off to a poor start in the qualifiers are only in action today when they face Rwanda.

In last night’s match, Nees will probably on reflection acknowledge that he also left it until late to inject life into his misfiring team, with the German only making a triple substitution six minutes from time.

He threw into the fray the trio of Terrence Dzvukamanja, Tymon Machope and Bill Antonio for Emmanuel Jalai, Tawanda Maswanhise and Tawanda Chirewa before also sending on Scottland skipper Walter Musona two minutes from time as a replacement for Tinotenda Kadewere.

Teams:

Zimbabwe: Washington Arubi, Jordan Zemura, Divine Lunga, Munashe Garan’anga, Emmanuel Jalai (T. Dzvukamanja, 84th min), Tinotenda Kadewere (W. Musona, 88th min), Teenage Hadebe, Knowledge Musona, Marvelous Nakamba, Tawanda Maswanhise (T. Machope, 84th min), Tawanda Chirewa (B. Antonio, 84th min)