Warriors seek first win

ZIMBABWE are hoping to finally get it right when they host Rwanda in what is now, for them, an academic 2026 World Cup qualifier at Orlando Stadium at 3pm.

The Warriors haven’t won a single game in seven outings and are already out of contention for a place at the global fiesta set for the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.

But they have a lot to play for this afternoon with national pride uppermost in their minds.

The match is already serving as preparatory for the upcoming AFCON finals in December.

There are three changes to the squad that lost 1-0 to Benin last Friday with Prosper Padera and Thando Ngwenya getting their full debuts. All eyes will be on them.

Warriors 11 v Rwanda

Washington Arubi, Emmanuel Jalai, Jordan Zemura, Gerald Takwara, Munashe Garananga, Prosper Padera, Marshal Munetsi, Knowledge Musona, Tawanda Chirewa, Tawanda Maswanhise, Thando Ngwenya

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The atmosphere is a bit subdued, maybe because it’s a midweek fixture.

Temperatures have dropped a bit and that should be ideal for the game.

We are waiting for the players to emerge from the dressing rooms for pre-match formalities.

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Match kicks off

National anthems done.

Formalities completed and it is Zimbabwe who gets us underway. The atmosphere is becoming lively with fans trickling in

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Zimbabwe survive scare

Knowledge Musona is too casual and loses possession in the middle of the park. Rwanda make the counter and they have the first chance of the game but the ball somehow goes wide.

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14’ Musona gets clipped near the box. Very promising position and Zemura as well as the victim himself are behind it.

It’s Zemuraaaa!

But he misses the top corner. We were almost there

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No fluency, no conviction

We have played 20mins so far.

The Warriors have a good structure so far. But the flow isn’t yet there. Midfield battles are dominating it all.

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MISS!

It’s a double miss in fact!

A good corner from Musona eludes Chirewa at the near post. Takwara was lurking still and he needed to just make contact. He didn’t.

Just like that the ball rolled down the pitch.

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Chirewa on fire

Deploying in the left wing, Chirewa is proving he is up for the task to inspire the team.

He is completely unplayable. His runs, on and off the ball are super. Thrice he has won corner kicks which could have been converted with a bit of composure in the box.

Half an hour has gone and still goalless. But there is now so much life in the game and in the terraces too with more and more fans coming.

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Rwanda take the lead.

We are 1-0 DOWN!

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So poor from the Warriors

We failed to clear our lines and just like that the ball is laid back and Arubi is beaten from well outside the box. There was a cluster of defenders blocking his view. That was poor, very poor from us. Just another game we have had to concede pretty much against the run of play.

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Two minutes added on

We have two minutes of additional time. Two minutes to try and get the equalizer before the break.

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We trail at the break

We will have to do the chasing back in the second half as we go to the break on the backfoot.

We conceded quite a soft goal five minutes before half-time.

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Second half begins

The second 45minutes are upon us.

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We have fresh legs up there

Nees has introduced Tymon Machope and Bill Antonio for Padera and Maswanhise as he tries to be more offensive.
Musona has dropped back to D-link. Awkward? Let’s see how it works.

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Munetsi having a bad day

Stand-in captain Marshal Munetsi is everywhere across the pitch. But in reality he is nowhere.

Time and again, he is losing possession and instead of getting an advantage from his massive energy bundles, the Warriors are actually finding themselves under pressure each time he has the ball. For he is losing it, just too often.

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Past the hour and still trailing

There is promise but the final product isn’t quite coming out.
We are chasing our very first win in this campaign. It has to come in the next 25 minutes as Ngwenya is replaced by Terrence Dzvukamanja.

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Chirewa misses a sitter

Oh my word. Chirewa should have scored there.
Machope drew it back nicely and all Chirewa needed to do was tap it in. He couldn’t wrap his boot round the ball well and dragged it wide. That should be the miss of the match. 15mins to play and we are still chasing the game.

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Rwanda employing delaying tactics

Rwanda have what they needed in the bag and they are basically managing the match through long delays.
They are feigning injuries, they are delaying restarts, everything just to eat up the extra second.
They have their tails up and who can blame them?

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Nees throws more firepower

Nees has thrown caution into the wind. He wants a goal. Zimbabwe needs a goal. We have only three men at the back now as Jalai is withdrawn for Walter Musona.

Five minutes before full time.

Chirewa comes tantalizingly close with a good strike, which is, however, punched out for a corner.

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Six minutes added on

We have six minutes of optional time to equalize and maybe, just maybe get the winning goal.

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It’s all over

Zimbabwe 0-1 Rwanda

UPDATE :

Warriors lose again

Five days after losing 1-0 to Benin, Zimbabwe once again crashed to an identical defeat at the hands of Rwanda in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at Orlando Stadium in South Africa.

The Warriors were chasing for their first win in eight games but they couldn’t work in a formula to get past the Eastern Africans whom they held to a goalless draw in the reverse tie in Huye two years ago.

That means the Michael Nees’ men are still winless in eight games as they remain at the base of Group C with just four points.