Tadious Manyepo Zimpapers Sports Hub
JORDAN Zemura is eager to deliver for the Warriors after waiting for 13 months to finally play for the national team.
He last featured for the Warriors in their 0-1 defeat to Lesotho in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa.
That was on October 10, 2025.
Since then, it has been silence and frustration as the star suffered injury after injury which apparently coincided with national diaries.
Zemura never played in 11 games between then and now.
He even missed the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco last December after spraining his leg playing for his Italian Serie A club Udinese.
He had been dogged by injuries and always missed the national team matches when Zimbabwe needed him most.
One time he would be fit, then he would get injured again.
But now, finally, the wait is over and Zemura is back. The Warriors star will make his return to the national squad when Zimbabwe play Equatorial Guinea in a back-to-back 2027 AFCON qualifier.
Zimbabwe play Equatorial Guinea in Cameroon tomorrow before they host the West Africans at the National Sports Stadium on Monday. Both teams have three points from their first two games and they will be looking to pick up the wins in this six-pointer.
And Zemura, who is now on loan at Watford in the English Championship, cannot wait to wear the famous yellow jersey again.
“I am very happy to be back,” said Zemura. “It has been a long time. Thirteen months is a long time to be away from the national team. It has been difficult for me. I have missed playing for Zimbabwe. I have missed the boys, I have missed the fans, I have missed the feeling of wearing the Warriors jersey,” said Zemura.
“To miss 11 games, to miss the Afcon in Morocco, that was very painful. I was watching from home. I was supporting the boys, but I wanted to be there with them. I wanted to help. As a player, there is nothing worse than watching your country play while you are injured at home.
“I had injuries that kept coming back. Every time I thought I was ready, something would happen. It was frustrating. But I kept working hard. I kept believing. I kept telling myself that my time will come again.
“Now I am here. I am fit. I am ready. I am hungry. I want to help Zimbabwe win.”
Zemura knows just how important the two games against Equatorial Guinea are.
With both teams on three points, the double-header could decide who takes control of Group E.
Six points would put Zimbabwe in a very strong position to qualify for the 2027 Afcon finals to be co-hosted by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
Anything less would leave the group wide open.
And Zemura says the Warriors are going for nothing less than maximum points.
“The importance of winning the two games starting this Thursday cannot be overemphasised,” said Zemura.
“We know what is at stake. We are playing Equatorial Guinea who are also on three points like us. These are six-point games. If we win both games, we will be in a very good position.
“We are in Cameroon to win. We are not there to draw. We are not here to defend. Then we come back home on Monday to the National Sports Stadium to win again in front of our fans.
“Our fans have been amazing. They have supported us even when results were not good. Now we want to reward them with wins. We want to make them proud.
“I know Equatorial Guinea are a tough team. They are organised, they are strong, they have good players. But we have quality. We have belief. We have a good team. If we play our football, if we are disciplined, if we fight for each other, we will win.”
For coach Ramon Catala, Zemura’s return is a massive boost.The Watford player can operate as a left-back, midfielder or wing-back, but it is at left-back where the Warriors have been found wanting in his absence.
“I want to thank the coach for believing in me, for giving me this chance to come back,” said Zemura.
“I am back. And I am here to help Zimbabwe qualify.”
Tomorrow in Cameroon, Zemura will make his long-awaited comeback at a stadium he played a part when Zimbabwe beat Guinea 2-1 in the Afcon finals in 2022.
