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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE’s Warriors won many hearts when they opened the 2021 African Cup of Nations tournament with a determined show against Africa’s top ranked football team, Senegal. 

But the Lions of Teranga left the whole world in awe on Sunday night when they lifted their first ever African Cup of Nations title, following a penalty shoot-out victory over record holders Egypt. 

Senegal’s triumph should come with big lessons for countries like Zimbabwe, who returned home after the group stages. Interestingly, Zimbabwe and Senegal were involved in an interesting match when the Warriors kept the Lions of Teranga at bay for the most part of the game. 

Knowledge Musona and his teammates stood toe-to-toe with the team that will be crowned African champions a few weeks later.

Were it not for the 97th minute penalty conversion by Sadio Mane, who went on to scoop the Player of the Tournament award, Zimbabwe and Senegal were going to settle for the share of the spoils. 

But from that game, the two teams went separate ways, which was a true reflection of the gulf between the two nations in terms of football as one team is ranked first in Africa in the FIFA rankings and the other 121 in the world. 

Zimbabwe lost their second match to Malawi 2-1 before the 2-0 upset over Guinea in their last group game, which had already been rendered a dead rubber. 

Senegal, on the other hand, drew with Guinea before dismissing Malawi to finish as group leaders and position themselves for more competitive games after that slow start.

Nothing much separated the teams. Zimbabwe had three points and had interestingly scored three goals to Senegal’s one in the group games. 

But what the teams achieved at the end is what is important. Senegal today are standing tall as African champions, a feat they achieved at their 16th attempt. 

It must have taken a lot of patience and great deal of organisation for the Senegalese to achieve greatness. They have had their fair of challenges ranging from the disturbances in 2008 which resulted in the country’s football association being placed under a normalisation committee to the 2013 AFCON debacle which saw them being kicked out of the competition and fined US$100 000. 

They also faced the Covid-19 challenges and were forced to cancel the remainder of the 2019-2020 football season although Teungueth and Jaraaf FC, who knocked out Zimbabwean champions FC Platinum in the CAF Confederation Cup last season, were designated to represent Senegal in the inter-club competitions.

Senegal’s football has managed to rise from the domestic challenges and conquer the continent. 

Senegal have invested in youth development. The Senegalese talent scouting system is largely based on the work of football schools and academies who travel to different places, looking for the most promising talents. The players have their studies paid for and often use this opportunity as a stepping stone towards a career abroad. 

CAF reported in the build-up to the tournament that academies based in Senegal, including Diambars and Generation Foot, occupy a prominent place in the 2022 class of the Lions of Teranga. 

Of the 27 called up by coach Aliou Cissé, eight players were trained by these two academies founded in the early 2000s, which corresponds to just over a quarter of those selected.

“In addition to the Liverpool striker, we note the presence of Watford (England) striker Ismaila Sarr, Strasbourg (France) striker Habib Diallo and FC Metz (France) midfielder Pape Matar Sarr. 

“The latter was transferred to Tottenham (England) who loaned him to Grenats of France. He played the Total Energies Under-17 AFCON in 2019 in Tanzania and the World Cup the same year in Brazil. 

“The Diambars Academy, founded in 2003, also has four footballers in the squad announced last Friday by Aliou Cissé. 

“They are Idrissa Gana Gueye (PSG, France), Saliou Ciss (Nancy, France), Joseph Lopy (FC Sochaux, France) and Ahmadou Bamba Dieng (Marseille, France). 

“Since the launch of the league in 2009, the two clubs of Generation Foot and Diambars have won respectively two (2016 and 2018) and a title of champion of Senegal (2013),” said the CAF report. 

The idea of youth development was seconded by former ZIFA administrator, Lazarus Mhurushomana, who believes Zimbabwe have reached the ceiling because of lack of grassroots development plans. 

“During our time, the Government took a decision to establish NAPH and NASH and these organisations were meant to be vehicles to harness all the talent that we have in our communities and in the streets. This talent was to be harvested through the schools system. 

“It was very helpful then but I don’t know how effective the system is now. But the idea was that all the associations, not only football, had to take advantage of NAPH and NASH to tap talent. You cannot develop sport outside of these structures. There were also vibrant junior leagues and community clubs. 

“The biggest question we should be asking ourselves now is that are we producing quality players who can be exported to Europe (like what Senegal and other West African countries are doing)? Or we are content producing players for South Africa? We need to have products that attract European scouts. 

“We need to concentrate on development. Our development has long been abandoned but I can tell you that’s how we came up with the famed Dream Team during our days,” said Mhurushomana. 

It takes a lot of patience and resources. Infrastructure is key for any serious football nation. But the country’s stadia are currently in shambles and most of them cannot even host local games. CAF have since banned Zimbabwe’s grounds for Warriors’ games until they meet the required standards. 

Senegal, on the other hand, have been investing in academies, sports complexes and stadiums, including the new 50 000-capacity Diamniadio Olympic Stadium which started two years ago at a cost of €238 million to the taxpayers. 

“Running successful football is not a cheap exercise. To start with, if I look at the budget that is given to the Ministry of Sport in the national fiscus, you will realise it’s not enough.

“There is need for the corporate world to come in. Development is not a cheap exercise. There is need to invest in qualified personnel, equipment and most importantly facilities. Look at the state of our stadiums. 

“But these guys at the city councils got levies every time they hosted games at these stadiums. Where is the money going if it is not recouped back to the service of the people who generate it? We have the diamonds but we’re not putting in enough to mine the gems,” said Mhurushomana. 

A great deal of patience is also needed. Senegal have been at it since the turn of the millennium when they reached the AFCON finals for the first time in 2002 and also the quarter-finals of the World Cup. 

They reached the finals again in 2019 with local coach Aliou Cisse, who has been at the helm since 2015. Cisse has come under significant criticism since he was appointed manager in March 2015, yet his status as a legend of Senegalese football is now confirmed. Zimbabwe have changed nearly a dozen coaches during the same period. Just as Zimbabwe have begun tapping into the “British Brigade”, Senegal have long been reaping the rewards from the quality in their diaspora in France. 

Numerous players have benefited from French football’s world-class youth development. Kalidou Koulibaly, for instance, is the son of a factory worker from a partly Senegalese town in the French Vosges. 

Koulibaly played for French national youth teams before being persuaded by Cissé to choose Senegal. 

Most of them grew up between two cultures while others were shipped to the youth academies in France at an early age. 

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Nampalys Mendy, Bouna Junior Sarr and Abdou Diallo are just but some of the several France-born players in the current squad that just won the AFCON tournament. 

ZIFA need to open their eyes to the mushrooming players with Zimbabwean heritage like Tawanda Maswanhise (Leicester City), Michel Ndiweni (Newcastle), Isaac Mabaya (Liverpool), Ethan Kachosa (Sunderland) and Jimiel Chikukwa (Watford).