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Grace Chingoma

Senior Sports Reporter

MIGHTY Warriors coach, Sithetheliwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda, is happy they are finally getting back to football action after they were drawn to play Eswatini in the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers. 

The draw was conducted yesterday in Cairo, Egypt. 

A record 44 nations went into the hat and were paired along regional zones for the first round. 

Should Zimbabwe beat Eswatini, they will meet the winners of the match between Angola and Botswana. 

CAF departed from the usual format of seeding the top-ranked teams, which often separated the giants, until the later stages of the competitions. 

Nigeria were drawn against fellow West African giants Ghana in the first round. 

Zimbabwe’s campaign begins at home, between June 7 to 15. 

The second round of matches are scheduled from October 18 to 29. 

Eleven winners will then qualify to join hosts Morocco at the finals in July next year.

“Obviously, we are happy that we are getting back to action but it’s not going to be easy, considering the long break,’’ said Sibanda. 

“What is key now is to prepare for the match so that we go through. Eswatini are a good side that you cannot underrate. 

“I am sure, even for the players, this is good news to know we are returning to action and they are eagerly waiting for the opportunity, as it’s always a privilege to represent one’s country.” 

Sibanda and her assistant coaches, Perkins Nyamutamba and Rosemary Mugadza, have a slight advantage in that the league clubs recently started training. 

The national team last featured at the COSAFA Championships in November. 

Recently South Africa, Zambia and Botswana played in tri-friendly matches with inactive Zimbabwe being overlooked. 

“The draw just came out today (yesterday). So, we just have to communicate with the technical director’s office and take it from there,” said Sibanda. 

It is the first time Zimbabwe will meet Eswatini in the women’s Nations Cup qualifiers. The two teams have met twice in the COSAFA Championships. 

In 2019, the Mighty Warriors hammered Eswatini 7-0. 

Interestingly, it is the game in which skipper Emma Msipa scored four goals to convince scouts to facilitate a move to Spain. 

In the 2018 COSAFA edition, Zimbabwe again met Eswatini in the group stages and the Mighty Warriors won 3-0. 

But, the Mighty Warriors are now a pale shadow of the team which won bronze at the 2019 COSAFA Championships.

Last year, Zimbabwe returned home empty-handed from the regional tournament, where they did not win a game and failed to even score a goal.