The Warriors of Zimbabwe trot onto the turf in the National Sports Stadium on September 6 for what is probably their biggest assignment in the run-up to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
MICHAEL KARIATI
This is the game that will set the tone for the remainder of the Zimbabweans’ campaign. A win could set the Warriors on course for an appearance at the Nations Cup finals, having missed out on the past five editions of Africa’s biggest football festival.
It is simply not right that Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the Nations Cup finals in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and lately 2015, when our once football walkovers like Namibia and Botswana participated in the football extravaganza.
Although they lost to Swaziland at home in their opening game, the Syli Nationale of Guinea still remain Zimbabwe’s biggest challengers in this group. The Warriors can easily roll over Swaziland home and away, and with a victory already secured over Malawi away from home, there is little doubt the Flames will fall in Harare.
So what Zimbabwe needs is a win over Guinea, and then beat the Swazis in both matches. A loss in Conakry will not matter should the Warriors secure another victory over the Flames in Harare.
The Warriors have played Guinea twice in Nations Cup qualifiers and the Zimbabweans have on both occasions, fallen. However, times have changed and the West Africans are no longer the powerful force they used to be. If Swaziland could beat them at home, why can’t the Warriors beat them by a bigger margin — at the National Sports Stadium for that matter?
The Warriors, however, need to be in their best frame of mind against the West Africans for them to collect maximum points. It is no secret that Zifa do not have the financial resources to fund the team in this match and that they need our support to make victory a reality.
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This is not a Zifa game, but a national challenge. National pride is at stake. What we need to do is to assist Zifa by making contributions to ensure that the Warriors are funded when they go into camp for this game.
We do not want a repeat of that sad episode when players boycotted training over non-payment of allowances or non-availability of food.
This means that all those who can afford should assist Zifa in cash or in kind. Let us come in with assistance for accommodation, food, transport, or player allowances. Let us all put our hands together and assist our Warriors, our team, our pride.
Zifa too should charge realistic entry fees to enable thousands to attend the game not only to support the Warriors, but to also ensure that a lot of money is realised from the gates to pay off the players after the match.
Three dollars for the cheapest seat would be a realistic figure as fans are used to paying such amounts when watching Castle Lager Premier Soccer League matches. Considering that the match will be at the National Sports Stadium, there are other expenses the fans will have to meet, including transport, which Zifa should consider.
Coach Kalisto Pasuwa has assembled what is no doubt a very strong side. But even the best of teams do not perform well when they are not well-equipped or well-funded.
It has been long since the Warriors made it to the continental football extravaganza and now is our chance to make it among the best Africa has to offer.
The draw was favourable and this group is not intimidating at all. We cannot call Guinea, Swaziland and Malawi very strong teams. They are just ordinary teams and it is only ourselves who can make things difficult in this group. With the three points garnered from Malawi, we are already a step in the right direction.
If everything goes well in the game against Guinea, the Warriors will be more focused for the matches to come. We need to qualify in style well before the qualifying campaign is over, like what Charles Mhlauri did with his team. They secured their qualification with two matches still to be played.
Pasuwa’s team can do the same. Nyasha Mushekwi and Knowledge Musona are on a roll, captain Willard Katsande is directing play at his South African base at Kaizer Chiefs while Costa Nhamoinesu is turning on the style in the Czech Republic.
There are other Warriors too — scattered across the globe — who are enjoying their best form. What they only need is our support for them to send us to six points and move closer to qualification.
Let us come together and support our Warriors.
*For views, comments, and suggestions, email [email protected] or WhatsApp on 077 3 266 779.
