Online Reporter
Langton Nyakwenda
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIFA president, Nqobile Magwizi, has reiterated that his executive committee remain resolute in their quest to transform the national game and restore confidence within the football family, locally and globally.
Magwizi is aware fans are not happy with the senior national team’s performance from their recent World Cup qualifying assignments against Benin and Rwanda, which have left the Warriors, still rooted at the bottom of the Group C log table.
But the ZIFA boss insists good times will roll soon.
With Zimbabwe out of the reckoning for a place at the World Cup, Magwizi has urged the football family to remain united ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations finals which will be staged in Morocco in December.
Zimbabwe have qualified for a sixth appearance at the continental football showpiece.
Apart from the Warriors assignment, the country also hosted the 2025 COSAFA Under 17 tournament last month, winning the plaudit of the regional body for a successful show at Ngoni and The Heart stadiums.
Magwizi, however, patience in that transformative journey.
“We are nurturing success; we are not going to start eating the leaves before the fruits arrive.
“We want to make sure that this particular seed grows, becomes a huge tree with a shade for all of us and hence we remain committed and resolute in the process of building a competitive football association, in the region, and beyond.
“So we can never run away from our responsibility and we are determined to act with honesty, with courage and of course with purpose because we believe if we are honest, we will get honest feedback and we correct those mistakes and we move together until we get to a place where we can all celebrate the success of Zimbabwe football,” said Magwizi.
Although the Warriors have qualified for the AFCON finals, they are winless in the World Cup qualifiers where they anchor Group C.
Magwizi says he understands the pain fans “and even the media’’ feel when the Warriors lose.
However, instead of rocking the ship ahead of the AFCON finals, ZIFA opted to strengthen the technical team by adding former Warriors vice captain Kaitano Tembo, as one of the assistants to Michael Nees.
“We must not stop.
“There is a lot that we must continue to do, but it’s a process that cannot be done overnight.
“One thing I must tell you is I don’t like losing.
“I’m also very ambitious as a president and I know my fellow Zimbabweans are also ambitious,’’ Magwizi said.
“They want a team that wins consistently but that desire is not always coming true because even the best teams when they play sometimes, they don’t always win.
“But we are saying we want to give ourselves the best chance to do well.
“So, to our fans I would like to say we see the passion, and we do not take it for granted.
“We can never take that for granted. We don’t take our media for granted because when you tell the story it’s that story that keeps things moving forward.
“We respect the opinions that you share with us.”
Magwizi wants the nation to unite for a common cause, as the Warriors prepare for the AFCON finals.
In Morocco, Nees and his lieutenants – Takesure Chiragwi and ex-Warriors vice-captain Tembo, will face Egypt, Angola and South Africa.
Tembo, a SuperSport United legend, having played for and coached the South African side, also had stints with Richards Bay and currently attached to Sekhukhune United, was unveiled as an assistant Warriors coach, on Tuesday.
By adding Tembo to the senior team’s technical crew, ZIFA underscored their desire to see the Warriors’ results improve and to have Zimbabwe proceed beyond the group stages for the first time at an AFCON tourney.
“We have two months to go before we go to AFCON.
“The boys are going to need our support. The technical staff is going to need your support,’’ added Magwizi.
