Online Reporter
Petros Kausiyo in London, England
KAITANO Tembo believes Zimbabwe’s 2-0 defeat to Nigeria in the Unity Cup semi-final exposed deeper issues than just defensive lapses, highlighting the need for greater physical intensity and a wider player base ahead of crucial assignments later this year.
The Warriors interim coach watched his side struggle to keep up with Nigeria’s pace and power on Tuesday night, as the West Africans controlled key phases of the match.
For Tembo, the result was not simply about losing, but about his team’s inability to sustain pressure and match the tempo required at international level.
“We played against a team that was probably well prepared physically. They were better in terms of that. I think we had moments but our moments, we didn’t really maintain them, especially our physical intensity in our press where we didn’t press them consistently and at some point we were forced to drop off and I thought that had to do with our physical condition.
“If you look at it, most of their players are playing in the Championship and some of them are playing in Europe so they just finished now, whereas some of our players had already finished.”
Zimbabwe showed glimpses of promise during the match, but those moments were not consistent enough to trouble Nigeria over the full 90 minutes.
Tembo also pointed to the difficult build-up to the match, with logistical challenges once again affecting the national team.
The squad only assembled fully at the last minute, with players travelling from different countries and arriving at different times. Emmanuel Jalai, Jordan Zemura and Daniel Msendami only joined their teammates hours before kick-off, while Tanzania-based striker Prince Dube was still expected in camp the following day.
For the coach, such disruptions remain a major hurdle.
“For us logistically it was always going to be a challenge in terms of getting players here because of other matters like visas but nevertheless I thought our boys really fared well.
“In terms of how we managed to control the game in certain moments, with a little bit of better decision-making and better quality in the final third, I think we created some good opportunities and good moments that we could have taken advantage of. But we just lacked that cutting edge.”
Tembo also felt his side made costly mistakes at important moments, particularly when dealing with transitions and defensive situations.
The Warriors failed to react quickly enough when under pressure, which allowed Nigeria to capitalise.
“If you look at the first goal, we had numbers behind the ball, we had the opportunity to take charge of that situation and we didn’t. The second goal was more like a transition where we had an opportunity to go forward and when we lost the ball, we didn’t apply the first defender in terms of preventing that forward pass. Those are situations that we need to deal with better at international level.”
Despite the defeat, Tembo insists the Unity Cup is also an opportunity to build for the future rather than focus only on results. With one more match left in the tournament, he plans to continue giving chances to new players as Zimbabwe begin preparing for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“It is important for us to have an idea of the young players that we have. We need to create a huge database in terms of profiling players for the national team because there are situations where players get injured and we need to know who replaces who.”
Several players caught the coach’s eye, even in defeat, with Tembo highlighting their potential.
“Sean hasn’t really played a full game for the Warriors and I thought he did very well. I was also impressed with Shane Maroodza. I liked his physique, his aggression and his technique on the ball in our build-up moments.”
While the Unity Cup has provided useful lessons, Tembo is aware that tougher tests lie ahead.
Zimbabwe’s Afcon qualifying campaign, which includes DR Congo, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, will demand far higher standards and leave little room for trial and error.
For now, the Warriors are still searching for the right combinations, but Tembo appears clear on one thing — it is better to find solutions now than when the real competition begins.
