THE Warriors will go into battle against Kenya in Kampala, Uganda in a crucial opening game of the 2025 Afcon qualifiers today.
It will be the first game for recently appointed senior national soccer team coach, Michael Nees, who started his work proper on Sunday when the team trooped into camp.
While the squad was announced soon after the unveiling of Nees to the media, Fifa protocols suggest that the names had long been complied and he might not have had a big say in its composition as suggested.
Invitation letters, especially to foreign based players, are dispatched well in advance and the Warriors readying for the next two assignments are largely foreign-based.
Nees has had a promising start to his tenure in as far as his engagement with the football family is concerned.
He has been attending matches in Harare right from the week he was unveiled with a Northern Region Soccer League match between Scottland and Banket United at Rufaro being his very first.
One of the first big decisions he made was to get former captain Khama Billiat to come out of retirement. Former Warriors interim coach Jairos Tapera had tried to convince Billiat to return to the national team but could not achieve it as the leadership at Zifa demanded the player to first make himself available on social media.
The Zifa Normalisation Committee insisted that Billiat had announced his retirement on social media and had to use the same platforms to come out of retirement.
But away from the drama, Nees seems intent on a team that is capable of winning matches and, most importantly score goals.
The turnout of all those called up for the Uganda games has been impressive.
Zifa have done all that is needed for a smooth preparation and this includes securing corporate support for the team’s kit.
This has ensured that the Warriors are dressed in proper Zimbabwean colours after the injection of US$80 000 by Betterbrands Gold.
As such, all eyes are on the team and what they have to deliver in the two tough matches against Kenya and Cameroon.
For that the Zifa NC and its secretariat has done very well and this should be the standard going forward. While it is important for the Warriors to start well and collect at least four points from the two matches, it will be unfair to judge Nees on these two matches in Uganda.
He is going into two crucial matches without preparatory matches. Consequentially, combinations will be tried out during competitive matches.
It is however, encouraging to note that senior players are already embracing Nees’ philosophy within three days of being together.
It can be done.
Go Warriors Go!