Zimbabwe aims to surprise in Africa Cup of Nations

The Zimbabwe national team dubbed “The Warriors’’ by home fans, return to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the third time hoping to shrug off their minnows tag.

The prestigious competition among African countries, sponsored by Total in Gabon is now the third world football competition in terms of its cumulative TV audience. The 2017 edition of the biennial championship will have 16 strong teams competing for honours, including Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe will face formidable North African opponents in Group B, which includes Senegal who are perched on the top rung on the continent, Tunisia and Algeria, who are third and fifth respectively. The Warriors will play its first match against the number one ranked team in Africa, Algeria on Jan. 15, and will play the second against Senegal on Jan. 23, both in Franceville, Gabon. The last group match for Zimbabwe will be against Tunisia on Jan. 23 in Libreville, Gabon. However, the southern African nation is pinning its dreams on players like Belgium-based striker Knowledge Musona, leading scorer at top-flight side KV Oostende, and South Africa-based Khama Billiat who had a strong season at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Zimbabwe, ranked 102 in the world and 29 in Africa, had won four of their six qualifying matches for the top African football showcase in Gabon in spite of being dogged by financial woes. The country’s football association is saddled with debt and has at times failed to pay players’ allowances and often relies on well-wishers to cover wages for players and coaches. An economic crisis and cash shortage has seen football match attendance figures plummeting. Last year the country was expelled from the 2018 World Cup preliminary competition over non-payment of a 67,000 dollars debt to former coach Jose Claudinei Georgini, better known by his nickname Valinhos.

Veteran Harare-based football analyst Stanley Katsande said the team has the potential to shine at the 16-team tournament in spite of being counted as continental underdogs.

“Zimbabwe had a very impressive record during the qualifiers’’ said Katsande. “They may not be the group winner but the boys will definitely leave a huge impression at the tournament in spite of being lowly-ranked. “While many think they will be the punching bag of the group, I am not expecting an early flight back home. “They face the best teams on the continent and they certainly need to concentrate 110 percent,’’ he said.

Sports Editor Nigel Matongorere said coach Callisto Pasuwa hoped to employ tactics to beat African giants who do have their flaws and weaknesses.

"In their previous two appearances, Zimbabwe failed to progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament" said Matongorere in a review ahead of the tournament. “This time around, Pasuwa has the players and with a bit of organisation coupled with luck, the Warriors can cause an upset."

The team, combining local and foreign-based players, has been compared to the side which shone on the continent in the 1990s winning 13 matches unbeaten under German coach Reinhard Fabisch. Key players heading to Gabon include striker Musona (KV Oostende, Belgium), midfielder Khama Billiat (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), and defender Costa Nhamoinesu (AC Sparta Praha, Czech Republic). Others include striker Matthew Rusike (Helsingborgs IF, Sweden) and Tinotenda Kadewere (Djurgardens IF). The winner of the Africa Cup of Nations represents the Continent at the FIFA Confederations Cup.