ON June 11, 2017, the Warriors got the biggest win of their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations football campaign with a 3-0 spanking of the Lone Star of Liberia at the National Sports Stadium and today, Zimbabwe face the same team in a game that could all, but seal their qualification for the finals in Cameroon.
insidesport with MICHAEL KARIATI
The question is: Will Liberia become the team that gave the Warriors their biggest win in their 2019 campaign and also be the same team that will give the Zimbabweans a point or the points they need to qualify for the finals with a game to spare?
The last time the Warriors faced the Lone Star in Nations Cup qualifiers was in the run-up to the 2012 finals. The Liberians were also hammered 3-0 at the National Sports Stadium before the two teams settled for a one-all draw in Monrovia with Knowledge Musona getting the opener for the Warriors in the 30th minute before Sekou Oliseh equalised with 21 minutes remaining in the game.
Should the 2019 Nations Cup qualifiers follow the pattern of the 2012 results, then Zimbabwe will today qualify for the finals with a draw in Monrovia that will give them the point they need to guarantee their qualification.
History has its own uses and in that visit to Monrovia in 2011, the Warriors could easily have won the game had it not been for questionable officiating by Benin referee Kofi Cojia, who also allowed a disputed equaliser from CSKA Moscow’s Sekou Oliseh to stand.
Although that 2011 day’s Warriors captain Method Mwanjali, as well as Ashley Rambanapasi, Justice Majabvi, Washington Arubi, Tafadzwa Rusike, Thomas Sweswe, Edward Sadomba, Clement Matawu, Onismor Bhasera, Benjamin Marere and Noel Kaseke, are long gone, Musona still remains in the Warriors set-up.
The only other current Warrior who played in that game against Liberia in Monrovia in 2011 was Nyasha Mushekwi, but the China-based striker is not available for Zimbabwe in today’s game due to injury.
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At that time Norman Mapeza was the coach of the Warriors and coincidentally Mapeza was also coach of the Warriors when Zimbabwe began their 2019 campaign with that 3-0 win over the Liberians.
This means Mapeza’s Warriors have scored six goals without reply in two games against the Lone Star at the National Sports Stadium.
Musona, who was featuring for the Warriors in his fourth game and scored his first goal for the senior team on that day, has since become the rock from which the Warriors are built and should be buoyed by the performance of that September 5 day to inspire the Warriors to victory.
Although the Warriors are in the driving seat with eight points — three more than their closest rivals, Congo DR — they have not yet secured qualification and should not lose the game in Monrovia as that could prove disastrous.
Relying on the last game of the campaign could be living dangerously as there is no guarantee of picking up points and, as such, the Zimbabweans should secure their qualification today if they are to have a normal and free game against Congo Brazzaville in March 2019.
There is no room for complacency as that could only help to kill the Zimbabwean cause. The Lone Star are no longer the easy pickings they were 10 or so years ago. Congo went to Monrovia full of confidence and were beaten 2-1. The Democratic Republic of Congo also travelled to Liberia with high hopes, but were lucky to escape with a draw after equalising in the 89th minute.
On that premise, Zimbabwe should be wary of the threat that the Lone Star present despite their low ranking in world football.
Most of the predictions coming from all the four corners of the globe are pointing to a draw in today’s game. A few others are pointing to a Zimbabwe win with none giving Liberia any chance of a victory.
Today’s 90 minutes will surely provide the answer. Zimbabweans, however, are hoping that the Warriors will once again send them celebrating as they did in 2004, 2006, and 2017.
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