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Mgcini Sibanda (left) in action for Zimbabwe national Under-23 team

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
IT IS every up and coming African footballer’s dream to play abroad. The belief is that participating at competitions like the Fifa World Cup, Afcon, Olympics and the African Games are a spring board to achieving the goal. The Zimbabwe national Under-23 men’s soccer team defied the odds as they qualified for the 2015 edition of the All-Africa Games set for Congo-Brazzaville later this year and the players are revelling in glory.

Without foreign-based players like Netherlands based Marvelous Nakamba and Mamelodi Sundowns’ Kudakwashe Mahachi for the return leg away in Cameroon, many had ruled out the Young Warriors from making it for the continental showpiece.

The West African football powerhouse had lost 0-1 in Harare and being among the continent’s top dogs in soccer, Zimbabwe’s chances were next to none, according to bookies.

But alas for many who had put their money on Cameroon, the Callisto Pasuwa-led Young Warriors gallantly fought their hearts out, coming from a goal down to pull off a 1-1 draw in Yaoundé and book a place at the African Games on a 2-1 aggregate scoreline.

They achieved the feat without anticipated first choice goalkeeper Donovan Bernard, chief strikers Walter Musona and Thomas Chidewu as well as central defenders Teenage Hadebe and Elvis Moyo who were not released by their clubs because the qualifiers fell outside the Fifa calendar.

Young Warriors captain Wisdom Mutasa – scorer of the solitary goal in the first leg in Harare – was full of praise for his teammates and said they will cherish the achievement for the rest of their lives. He said the desire to court scouts for big leagues is what motivated them.

“It feels good to be part of this history. This is something that we will always cherish. The guys played their hearts out and were determined to bring glory to the nation. Very few gave us a chance of knocking out Cameroon but because we prayed to a living God and we were determined to prove doubting Thomases wrong, we got the result,” said Mutasa.

“The coach told us that we hadn’t travelled to Yaoundé just to fulfill the game but to compete. We prayed and the guys knew that at tournaments like these, big clubs from overseas send their scouts and we really wanted to do it for ourselves as well.”

The last time that the Young Warriors competed at the Games was in 1995 when Zimbabwe were the hosts, so did not have to qualify.

After that, Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the four editions — South Africa (1999), Nigeria (2003), Algeria (2007) and the last Games held in Mozambique in 2011.

Zimbabwe’s last Young Warriors to play at the All-Africa Games had the likes of now Bantu Rovers president Methembe Ndlovu, George Mbwando who went on to play in Germany, Stewart Murisa, Edelbert Dinha and Alois Bunjira who had successful careers in South Africa.

The present crop of Young Warriors are capable of making breaks into Europe and only the sky is the limit for them.

Highlanders’ Nqobizitha Masuku, a former National Under-20 skipper shared Mutasa’s sentiments on breaking new ground.

“It’s every footballer’s dream to play outside the country and God willing, most of the guys I’m playing with will get breaks after the Games. All we need is to work hard and ensure that we continue impressing the coaches so that we’re in the team for the finals,” said Masuku.

The midfielder who is on loan at Bosso from Bantu Rovers has been on numerous trips to Europe but failed to make it. He believes that this is his year to make a move abroad.

Some of the players that the country will be pinning their hopes on are Caps United’s Ronald Pfumbidzai, Dynamos’ duo of goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva and Blessing Moyo, Terrence Gonzo and Samuel Makawa (both ZPC Kariba), Tino Kadewere and Munyaradzi Nyenye-Diro (both Harare City), Tsholotsho FC’s Gerald Takwana, Marlvin Gaki and Praise Tonha from the Premiership table-toppers Triangle United and How Mine’s striker Mgcini Sibanda.

The Pasuwa led technical team which also has Nation Dube of Hwange, ZPC Kariba’s Saul Chaminuka and Triangle United’s goalkeepers’ coach Tembo Chuma deserves credit for a good job.