Once in every two years ours focus turns to the biggest football showcase on the continent, that is the Africa Cup of Nations and the difference with this year’s edition is that after a decade Zimbabwe marks its return to the continental showcase and again as underdogs.
In as much as I don’t want to be patriotic about everything that involves Zimbabwean sport but instead, to watch, analyse disseminate information in the right way as I was taught when I undertook my journalism training.
Yes we are the underdogs in our group, don’t get me wrong, I am not being a cry-baby but the numbers reveal it all, and they don’t lie, we are in a group with most powerful teams in Africa.
Senegal is ranked the best team on the continent, two places ahead of Tunisia who are positioned third while Algeria concludes the top five of the best teams in Africa, and Zimbabwe is the lowly ranked of the four teams.
From the look of things we are the punching bags of our group and I hear people saying Zimbabwe will be one of the first teams to be on their way back… mind you someone said Khama would want that as he would have time to his shenanigans.
In as much as I believe that we are the punching bags, there is something that makes me believe that the Warriors will do the honourable thing and farewell at the forthcoming Africa Cup of nations.
I have said it since the Warriors booked a place in Gabon that they will grind a result, yes you are reading me right the Warriors are going to make history and qualify for a quarter-final.
Nevermind the chaos that characterised the training, here are five reasons why we believe the Warriors are going to make history Zimbabwe Warriors played an international friendly match with one of the continent’s football powerhouses Cameroon with odds favouring Cameroon Zimbabwe showed character forcing the Cameroonians to a one all draw.
Algeria is a side that is riding high after drubbing one of the continent’s lightweights, Mauritania by six goals to nil, a resulted many had expected to be an outcome between Zimbabwe and Cameroon but alas.
Hence the Algerians have to be wary of the Warriors.
Yes, Cameroon forced a draw had it not been a penalty awarded to the West African side after a crude tackle by Elisha Muroiwa, and the result came on the backdrop of another important result ahead of Gabon pitting Ivory Coast again the Warriors managed a stalemate.
The results have acted as morale booster within the Warriors camp, as it has given the team a kind of self-belief.
We are playing an Algerian side that we have played before.
Pasuwa before being appointed the national team coach for four years he played the North Africa teams with Dynamos and is quite aware of the tricks of the North Africans. My prediction is….. Warriors will not be empty handed on points GO WARRIORS GO.
