Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
WARRIORS defender Jordan Zemura cannot understand why Zimbabwe have never gone beyond the group stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Six appearances. Six early exits.
For a country that has produced generations of gifted footballers, the statistics continue to puzzle the Udinese star.
And he believes it is time for Zimbabwe to stop thinking about merely qualifying for AFCON and start dreaming much bigger.
“I am surprised how we have failed to navigate through the group stages at the AFCON finals at every edition,” said Zemura.
“We can achieve far much better things than just going beyond the group stages.”
The 25-year-old is convinced the current Warriors squad has enough quality to compete with the continent’s best and believes Zimbabwe can draw inspiration from one of African football’s greatest success stories, Zambia’s triumph at the 2012 AFCON finals.
For Zemura, the benchmark is not merely reaching the knock-out stages.
The Warriors should be bold enough to believe they can emulate what Chipolopolo achieved in Gabon 14 years ago.
“Zambia are our neighbours, and we can learn a lot from what they achieved,” he said.
“What they did can be done by us as well.
“They had players based abroad and players from their local league. That’s what we have too. We can do it.”
Born and raised in England to Zimbabwean parents, Zemura has become one of the faces of a Warriors generation many believe is capable of achieving something special.
With captain Marvelous Nakamba, Marshall Munetsi, Knowledge Musona, Tawanda Chirewa, Andy Rinomhota, and several Europe-based stars in the fold, Zimbabwe arguably boasts one of its strongest squads in years.
And Zemura feels that quality should eventually translate into success on the biggest stage.
Such ambition, however, begins with qualification.
Zimbabwe have been drawn in Group E of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers alongside DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Sierra Leone, with only two teams advancing to the finals to be jointly hosted by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
Zemura likes the Warriors’ chances.
“It’s a good group. It’s a good group with good teams. I think each nation is very strong in their own way,” he said.
“DR Congo are heading to the World Cup, and we wish them all the best.
“But for us, we need to be looking very strong.
“We came from a group with Cameroon, Namibia and Kenya and managed to qualify.
“This group is even easier, so to speak. We stand a very good chance.
“We should be pushing to finish top of the table. That has to be the challenge and the goal for us.”
Zemura recently returned to national team duty after a frustrating spell on the sidelines through injury.
His comeback came at the Unity Cup in London, where Zimbabwe lost 2-0 to Nigeria in the semi-finals before beating India 1-0 in the third-place playoff.
The defender featured against Nigeria before returning home for a different mission.
Away from football, Zemura has spent the past week investing in communities through the Jordan Zemura Foundation.
He presided over his annual football tournament in Mt Pleasant, oversaw the drilling of boreholes at Dambudzo Primary School in Seke and St Augustine Chitida in Wedza, and has been working with schoolchildren across the country.
Today, he is expected to conduct coaching sessions at Warren Park schools as part of efforts to inspire the next generation of footballers.
“Well, it’s been an action-packed week,” he said.
“Seeing the children and trying to bring joy to their faces has been the most important thing.
“The boreholes in Seke and Wedza were very important because access to clean water is something many people take for granted.
“Sometimes these children are walking long distances just to get water before they even start learning.
“It makes you realise how fortunate you are. Being able to help means a lot to me and my family.”
Soon, his attention will turn back to Italy and another demanding season with Udinese.
But before he leaves, Zemura has left Zimbabwean football with a challenge.
If Zambia could rise from outsiders to African champions, why can’t the Warriors finally break their AFCON ceiling and begin writing a story of their own?
