Michael Nees, head coach of the Zimbabwe senior men’s national football team, has stated that the Warriors are still contenders in the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Currently, they sit at the bottom of Group C with two points after four matches. Rwanda leads the group with seven points, followed by South Africa and Benin Republic, also with seven points. Lesotho is in fourth place with five points, while the Super Eagles hold fifth with three points. The Warriors will continue their qualifying campaign on Monday, March 17, 2025, at home against Benin Republic. On March 24, 2025, they will compete against Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. In their first encounter during the second matchday of the qualifiers in November 2023, held in Zimbabwe, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. In a recent interview with Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Online TV, the 57-year-old German coach mentioned that the group’s outcome is still uncertain. “We are not out yet; we need to perform well and remain competitive,” he stated. “We need to improve our standing; the table is clear, showing we are only two points behind with a goal difference of minus four, but the group has not been finalized yet, as we have six more games left and 18 points to gain. It’s crucial for us to have a strong restart in March.” We intend to put forth our maximum effort and claim that we made an attempt within our abilities, so let’s observe how things progress. The Warriors will enter the qualifiers in March after experiencing three losses and one draw in their previous four matches. – By James Agberebi
