The ManicaPost
ESTEEMED followers of the game of football, thank you for finding time for interaction.
After an encouraging opening game at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon against the fancied Desert Foxes of Algeria, in which they won admirers among fans, foes and neutrals alike with a heartening performance, Zimbabwe’s Warriors got their campaign underway in promising fashion.
The two-all stalemate served well to incubate the Southern Africa nation’s prospects at the tournament, which many hope will hatch into progress to the competition’s quarter-finals.
On the back of that not-so-bad show, Zimbabwe were expected to show both reaction and character in their second game against Senegal, 2-0 victors over Tunisia in the other opening Group B match, last night.
Going forward and looking ahead, holding Algeria could only embolden Callisto Pasuwa’s men, who came within just under 10 minutes of clinching a momentous victory that would have set the tone and provided perfect tonic for the remainder of our Group B matches.
And that sense of optimism is not a false one.
There were several positives to draw from our match on Sunday night.
We certainly turned up for the match, turned our nose up at Algeria’s star-sprinkled profile and also turned our sleeves up ready to slug it out for the all-important three points. Rich in effort, our exertions against Algeria deserved a reward and we duly got a precious point, which, crucially, has cumulative value if we look at it in the bigger picture of group games.
On the whole, our boys proved that we are capable of competing and are a troublesome force that can cause upsets.
We picked up a point against a strong opponent.
We managed to score. Not once, but twice.
Therefore, there is still a lot and everything to fight for. In this group. At this tournament.
In the first match, the Warriors lacked endurance to hold onto our lead and see out the match. And what we learned from that agonising near-win is that such leads cushioned by only a single goal are not enough, but we also need to take an assurance lead, protected by at least two goals, so as to effectively kill matches off and secure victory. In our final match against Tunisia next Monday we now have to outscore our opponents and see where that takes and leaves us at the completion of group games.
We are in this to win it and can go all the way.
With minnows Guinea-Bissau holding hosts Gabon, anything is possible and can happen in football.
With striker influential Knowledge Musona still nursing an injury, the return from suspension of midfielder Marvelous Nakamaba should add more craft and graft to our midfield and give us another option in that pivot part of the pitch.
We still have a chance.
We can still do it.
Let’s do it, boys!
Go, Warriors, Go!
Goals, Warriors, Goals!
Warriors remaining fixture:
Vs Tunisia (January 23, 8pm)
It’s Game On, Play On!
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