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“To hear you say my name, to see you search my eyes
To feel you touch my hand, it more than satisfies.If I was not the first, just say I’ll be the last
It’s too much to expect, but it’s not too much to ask.”

These are the lyrics of Mary Capin Carpenter, Not too much to ask, and the nation can sing them to our beloved Warriors as they do battle against Tanzania tomorrow.

After the 0-1 defeat in the first leg away, it obviously meant that we were had started on the back foot, but that certainly does not mean we have a mountain to climb in the reverse fixture which we play in our own backyard. It means we have too much to expect, but not too much to ask.

It is that time where we have to tell our selves that Yes we can, Yes our boys can do it and they will do it. It was unfortunate that the match officials connived to rob us of a goal by Tendai Ndoro that could have given us an equaliser and the important away goal coming to the reverse fixture at home, but here we are, we are trailing 0-1 and we have another 90 minutes to turn the tables on our opponents and proceed to the next round.

It’s certainly not too much to ask. Football might be round and very difficult to understand, but it’s not too much to ask for a win from your boys playing at home.

There is no doubt that Zimbabwe is a football crazy nation and there is nothing that has captured people’s imagination this week as tomorrow’s showdown. The Warriors regrouped early this week to prepare for the match which is a must win, and the advantage is that they are on home soil.

Failure to win the match will be disastrous for the present crop of players, coaches and the Zifa leadership as it will mean that we would have fallen out by the wayside in the first round of the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, something that has not happened in the past.

We are quite familiar with the “so near yet so far” phrase. The Warriors have on a number of occasions promised much and delivered nothing after failing in the last hurdle,  but the nation expects a different run this time around and wants to return to the tournament and be counted among the big boys of African football.

Because of the nature of huge numbers of people that football attracts and the potential benefits from the game itself, it is not surprising that people will always be fighting from different ends, half the time for their own selfish interests.

Nonetheless, this is not the time to be bickering in the corridors of power at Zifa. It is time for men and women of honour to selflessly serve this beautiful nation and this beautiful game as one big family. The mantra — united we stand, divided we fall — should be drummed up hard on the ears of those who are running our football so that they understand what unity of purpose can bring.

The people who love this beautiful game and will pay their hard earned money tomorrow to watch the Warriors in action do not care who is in charge of what at Zifa, all they want is a positive result on the field of play. That is what the leadership should always bear in mind.

The team needs support from all sectors of the business community, government and fans in general so that there is enough money to motivate players to represent their country knowing that there are huge benefits for making the nation happy.

Should the Warriors win against Tanzania, as the nation expects, they will face the winner between Mozambique and South Sudan and if they advance, they will join neighbours Zambia, Niger and Cape Verde Islands in Group F for the last lap. For a positive result to come out, the Warriors will have to be aggressive, gritty from the first whistle. We certainly need an early goal to unsettle the opposition which will come and sit back trying to protect the lead from the first leg, but we should not lose sight on that we do not have to concede this time around, so this spells a very difficult game that will need all players to be on their toes the entire afternoon.

“Forget that the Warriors have been dealt a blow following injuries that ruled out Mamelodi Sundowns-bound dribbling wizard Kudakwashe Mahachi, Highlanders’ talisman Peter “Rio” Moyo, Czech Republic-based leftback Costa Nhamoinesu, national team skipper and defender Carlington Nyadombo as well as Ajax Cape Town striker Simba Sithole,” said Tendai Ndoro, the Warriors striker ahead of the crunch African Cup of Nations 2015 qualifier.

Ndoro, who has grown in stature to lead the Warriors attack in the absence injured  Knowledge Musona, the only dependable striker of his generation, said he was positive that Zimbabwe will beat Taifa Stars. He will have capable partners upfront with the likes of Cuthbert Malajila and Edward Sadomba coming back into the fold as the Warriors coaches seek to widen their options upfront.

“We are going to burn them and this is just what we should do. We have to turn the tables against them and what is in our favour is that they are more under pressure compared to us. What we need to do is to play as a unit and seek an early goal. If we hit the groove nothing will stop us from making it through to the next round. The good thing is that everyone wants to win and spirits are high in camp. We are all  working hard to make sure that we do not disappoint the nation. Winning and progressing to the next stage enhances our careers as footballers. We just have to beat Tanzania and yes, we can beat them,” said Ndoro.

We expect much from the Warriors, but its certainly not too much to ask.

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