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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor

SIX years ago, the contrast couldn’t have been sharper — one team was celebrating its finest hour, the other was licking wounds inflicted by a painful failed campaign.

The Mighty Warriors were in Dreamland, having just become the first Zimbabwean national football team, to qualify for the Olympic Games, in 2016.

The Lady Chevrons were on the canvas, cursing their fate, after finishing third, one place outside the two qualifying slots, for the 2016 ICC Women’s World Twenty20.

For the Mighty Warriors, it was the ultimate prize, a trip to Brazil, the land of Pele, Garrincha Romario, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Falcao, Rivellino, Gerson, Jairzinho, Socrates and Zico, each of them, a password, for football purity.

And, of course, the land of Marta, arguably the greatest woman footballer of all-time, whose 17 goals, at the World Cup finals, is a record, among men or women.

For many, this was the Mighty Warriors’ anointing ceremony, on the fields on which some of the world’s finest players horned their skills.

And, the team would rise, like a Phoenix, from their Brazilian adventure.

There was so much to learn for them, in the company of the world’s greatest football nations, including the number one ranked side, the United States.

Germany (2), France (3), Sweden (6), Brazil (8), Canada (10), China (12), New Zealand (16), Colombia (24) and South Africa (54) were the other participants.

Such was the difference, in class, the Mighty Warriors were ranked 95th.

But, they had earned their place, with their sensational elimination of Cameroon, a reminder they were still a very dangerous team.

For some of their fans, this was the first sign the Mighty Warriors were on a journey to greatness, where such dances with the world’s top teams, would become regular occurrences.

Back, then, the Lady Chevrons were virtually unknown, even though they had played their first international cricket game, in 2006, at the ICC Africa regional qualifier, for the Women’s Cricket World Cup.

They won that tournament.

However, a win-less run at the 2011 World Cup Qualifier, meant the Lady Chevrons didn’t generate the kind of interest, which their football counterparts, were getting.

Even a third place finish, after beating Scotland by 31 runs, which meant they just missed grabbing one of the two tickets, for the 2016 World Twenty20, didn’t really provoke interest, in their brand, across the country.

Maybe, if they had qualified for the tournament, and won a place at the finals in India, the Lady Chevrons, just like the Mighty Warriors, would have come of age.

After all, India are to cricket while Brazil are to football.

But, rather than using their Olympic Games dance as the springboard, for them to rise to greatness, the Mighty Warriors have lost their way, in the past five years.

Last year, at the COSAFA Championships, they bowed out after losing both matches, without even scoring a goal.

This year, at the same regional tourney, they crashed to a 0-3 defeat, at the hands of Tanzania, despite beating newcomers South Sudan 2-1 and Botswana 3-0.

While the Mighty Warriors have been on a downward slide, the Lady Chevrons, have been on an upward trajectory.

And, it’s largely because of the sound investment into their structures, by the Zimbabwe Cricket leadership.

They are slowly transforming themselves into the team of choice, when it comes to the country’s national teams, with their appeal being boosted, with each passing month.

In just 15 years, since the Lady Chevrons made their international debut, the ZC leaders have slowly transformed them into a team, which now enjoys both Test and One Day status.

Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the ZC leader, probably deserves the 2021 Sports Administrator of the Year award in this country, for taking a deliberate policy to empower the Girl Child.

The Lady Chevrons’ brand now has an international flavour to such an extent the International Cricket Council even handed the country the right to host the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, currently underway in Harare.

The tournament has nine countries taking part.

It could not have come at a better time, with the ICC placing a lot of emphasis, in the development of women cricket.

They are saying the tournament, being staged here, is key in the ICC masterplan, to grow the game.

“The last 12 months have been a bit uneven, in terms of how much cricket the national women’s teams are playing but we have just started in Zimbabwe, with the qualifiers for the World Cup,’’ ICC chief executive, Geoff Allardice, said on Monday.

“It’s a really important tournament, not only for who gets to play in the World Cup but also who gets to play in the next edition of the ICC Women’s Championship.’’

The Lady Chevrons are clearly benefiting a lot, from the wisdom, of their leadership.

Maybe, with the benefit of hindsight, we should have picked it up, six years ago, when we were all being charmed by the heroics of the Mighty Warriors, that a beautiful story was being written by the Lady Chevrons.

After all, even at that failed campaign, to qualify for the 2016 ICC Women’s World Twenty20, there were still some refreshing tales.

Chipo Mugeri’s 120 runs, at an average of 40, in five innings, was a tally only bettered by three other players — Cecilia Joyce of Ireland, 152 runs, Huang Zhou of China, 122 runs and Stevre Kallis of the Netherlands, with 122 runs.

This year, they won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, with a flawless performance.

Their inspirational skipper, Mary-Anne Musonda was nominated for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for October, after scoring 169 runs, at an average of 56.33, with a strike rate of 90.86, in the four ODIs against Ireland.

Musonda’s unbeaten 103, in his country’s first ODI match, helped the Lady Chevrons to an historic four-wicket victory.

It opened doors for her when Keeley Cricket, a British sporting goods company, came knocking on her doors to be the official suppliers, of her equipment.

Tomorrow, Musonda and her troops are set to take on the United States, in the Americans’ first tour of Africa.

The Mighty Warriors didn’t get the chance to play the Americans, at the Olympics, five years ago in Brazil.

But, at least, the Lady Chevrons will do that, tomorrow.