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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor

ZDRAVKO LOGARUSIC could become the first Warriors coach in 75 years to win just one game in 14 matches should his men fail to end their miserable run today.

Reliable records for the national football team started being kept in 1946.

Ironically, just like the only time when they endured such a pathetic run, between July 5 1987 and November 13 1988, the Warriors needed a victory over Ethiopia to help them stop the rot.

A penalty, converted by the late Stanley ‘‘Sinyo’’ Ndunduma and a goal scored by the late Mercedes ‘‘Rambo’’ Sibanda powered them to a 2-1 win over the East Africans, in a CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup match.

That victory over Ethiopia ended a poor run in which the Warriors just like now, won just one match in 13 games.

A nervy 1-0 win over Zanzibar, in the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup, was the only bright spot of their miserable run, stretching 16 months.

The poor run started with a 1-1 home draw against Kenya, in an AFCON qualifier, which was followed by a goalless draw, against the Harambee Stars, in Nairobi.

Then, the Warriors were held to a goalless draw by Nigeria, in their Olympic Games qualifier, at home before losing 0-2, to the Super Eagles, in the reverse fixture.

Draws against Malawi (1-1), Uganda (0-0), Zambia (2-2) and Ethiopia (1-1), in the CECAFA Senior Challenge matches followed.

They then lost to Zambia (2-3) and (0-2) in friendly matches.

The Warriors were then held to a goalless draw by Uganda, in yet another CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup game and a 1-1 draw against Zambia, in the same tournament.

Finally, on November 13, 1988, the Warriors beat Ethiopia 2-1, for only their second win, in 14 matches.

Since local football records for the senior national team started to be filed in the 0-4 friendly defeat to Zambia in 1946, one win in 13 matches, remains the worst poor run, for this country.

It’s a record Loga has just matched, after his team struggled to break down Bafana Bafana, in their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier, at the National Sports Stadium, last Friday.

However, should the Warriors fail to beat the East Africans today in a match which starts at 3pm in Bahia Dar, Loga might find himself holding the record for the worst run by the Warriors.

While the messages coming from their camp appear to show a team, who believe they will power to a badly-needed victory, to breathe life into their campaign, history does not seem to be in favour of the Warriors.

After all, they are yet to win a group World Cup game in 13 year, since Gilbert Mushangazhike struck a brace on June 8, 2008 in a 2-0 win over Namibia at Rufaro.

The Warriors have also not won a World Cup qualifier away from the comforts of home in 17 years.

Their last victory on the road in this tournament came when they beat Rwanda 2-0 on July 2004, with captain Peter Ndlovu and Tinashe Nengomasha on target at the Stade Amahoro in Kigali.

Since that victory, the Warriors have played nine World Cup qualifiers away from home, losing six, including to one of the game’s weakest sides, Somalia, and drawing three matches.

Of course, history does not play football and if they get into their stride as they did when they went to Kinshasa and pulled a fine 2-1 win, in a 2019 AFCON qualifier, the Warriors can power to a victory which the nation badly wants.

However, for that to happen they will have to find the spark which they lacked as they opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a lifeless goalless draw against Bafana Bafana on Friday.

With the experimental South African side beating the Black Stars of Ghana 1-0 yesterday, this a group which the Warriors now know is wide open, with any of the teams having a good chance of winning it.

However, the trick in African football is to always try and win your home games and fight for at least a draw on the road.

A victory away from home is usually a huge bonus.

Imagine if the Warriors had started their campaign with a victory against Bafana Bafana, they would have been going into today’s match knowing victory would put them in a very strong position ahead of the back-to-back matches against the Black Stars.

But they will now go into today’s match under pressure knowing a defeat will send them bottom of the table after the first two rounds of the qualifiers.

While that will not be a mortal blow to their campaign given they will still have a chance of bouncing back in the final four matches, the reality is they will find themselves on the back foot needing to play catch up.

There were fears the absence of many key defenders in that match against Bafana Bafana would leave the Warriors badly exposed at the back.

But it wasn’t the defence which was found wanting on the day as the makeshift rearguard stuck to their task well, helped in a way by a Bafana Bafana side which didn’t offer much, in attack.

Percy Tau, for all his big profile had a match to forget against the Warriors.

Instead, it was the attack which was flat, with the perennial problem of not having a creative playmaker, coming to haunt the Warriors again.

They have to find a way of opening up teams and those who have been backing Loga, against a firestorm of criticism of the coach’s shortcomings, will be hoping this is the day the Croat finally gets his team firing.

 It’s unlikely to be easy against a plucky Ethiopian side who were unlucky to have lost the opening match 0-1, in Ghana.

The beauty about football is that any result is possible.

But, the Warriors need to shift into a different gear, something which they have been struggling to do under Loga’s guidance for their quest for victory to come true.

Otherwise,the coach will find himself on the wrong side of history.

One win, in 14 games, that will be a very bad scorecard, whichever way one looks at it.