Warriors show character in defeat

Michael Nees

WARRIORS head coach, Michael Nees, has said that his players displayed remarkable character and resilience despite their 1-2 loss to Cameroon in the last Group J Afcon qualifier in Yaoundé on Tuesday.

The Warriors struggled in the first half, allowing two early goals, but showed great fortitude in the second half, managing to score a goal through Terrence Dzvukamanja. Nees justified his team’s slow start, attributing it to a gruelling 35-hour journey and limited training opportunities.

“Tactically, we wanted to keep the game open until the 60th minute. We had to overcome jet lag and fatigue. Cameroon is a strong team, but we didn’t park the bus; we showed we can play football under pressure,” said Nees.

Nees criticised the packed football schedule, which he believes hampers teams’ preparation.

“The calendar is too congested, leaving little time to train. Fans want to watch enjoyable football, but the schedule prevents teams from performing at their best.

“We’ve played twice, drawing once and losing 2-1 under difficult circumstances. The character shown by our players was great. We’re a unit and that’s evident.”

Zimbabwe finished second in Group J behind Cameroon, who maintained their unbeaten run. Seven Cosafa teams, comprising Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Comoros, Angola, and Zimbabwe qualified for the tournament.

Cameroon had a near-flawless campaign, having recorded four wins and two draws, earning their spot in the final as top contenders.

On the other hand, the Warriors will be hoping to make it past the group stages in the competition for the first time in history.

They began their qualifying campaign in September with two consecutive goalless draws in Uganda against Kenya and Cameroon.

The matches were followed by back-to-back victories in Johannesburg against Namibia last month. Last Friday, Nees’ men drew 1-1 with Kenya, which was enough to reserve a spot at next year’s Afcon finals.

Luton Town midfielder, Marvelous Nakamba made history in the process, joining a list of exclusive captains who led the Warriors to the Promised Land after Peter Ndlovu, who led Zimbabwe to their first Afcon final in 2004. Ndlovu captained the Warriors twice in a row in 2006.

Willard Katsande and Knowledge Musona captained the side during the 2017 qualifiers and the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, respectively. — @innocentskizoe