Warriors must avoid being a scarecrow in Morocco

THIS year, unlike in any other qualifying campaign, local football fans were spared the agony of having to use their calculators to work out algebraic permutations of possible pathways to qualify for the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco next year.

As fate had it, the last match that the Warriors played the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Yaounde on Wednesday last week was nothing more than a jolly sparring session, as our draw against Kenya on November 15 had afforded us the rare, but welcome luxury of having qualified with a game to spare.

Granted, the Warriors feat must be taken for what it is — an incredible accomplishment — but, in the euphoria of the moment, we should not forget that ZIFA tried all it could to give us either a heart attack or high blood pressure.

Yes, we must not forget that it was ZIFA who wrecked our World Cup qualifying campaign by prevaricating over the appointment of a new Warriors coach and opting for last-minute training camps that cost us dearly, particularly in the crucial encounters against Lesotho and South Africa between June 7 and July 11.

Naturally, as Bra Shakes feared, Manica Diamonds gaffer Jairos Tapera, who had been inexplicably roped in to take charge of the team on an interim basis after the equally unexplained jettisoning of Brazilian coach Baltemar Brito — the former Highlanders mentor who had picked up good results against Rwanda and Nigeria — became the fall guy.

Why was Brito, who had shown so much promise, dropped like a hot potato? We might never know.

All we know is that, like Tapera, he was chewed up and spat out like tasteless chewing gum.

Curiously, the ZIFA Normalisation Committee, whose original mandate was set to end on June 30, dragged their feet and only selected a new coach after FIFA extended their term to January 2025.

But we must give credit where it is due.

Settling for the German Michael Nees, especially where everyone, including Bra Shakes, thought the AFCON-winning coach Winfried Schäfer was shoo-in for the job, was a masterstroke.

Nees must have had a hell of an interview to land that job, considering that before taking over the Warriors, the 57-year-old only had five African games under his belt — three with Seychelles (between February 2003 and June 2004) and two with Rwanda (between July and June 2007).

But now, he should probably be one of the happiest coaches on the continent after earning the happy distinction of being the first foreign gaffer to help the country’s flagship team qualify for AFCON after taking charge of the full campaign.

When the time eventually comes for Nees and the Warriors to go their separate ways — for that time will surely come — he will walk away with a somewhat impressive CV (curriculum vitae) that is likely to guarantee him another good payday with a struggling African side somewhere on the continent.

And, while some fans might believe that Zimbabwe, which presently anchors the log standings for the World Cup qualifiers, might somehow be in with an outside chance of making it, Bra Shakes does not belong to this fantastical and hopelessly optimistic group.

Instead, he believes the fixtures should be used to fine-tune the machine that will do business for Zimbabwe in Morocco next year.

From what we have seen so far, Nees’ team could surely do with some panel beating and tweaking.

Spineless Kadewere

Throughout the campaign, Zimbabwe has largely been ineffective in front of goal, averaging a goal each game for each of the seven assignments.

That we lack a prolific striker upfront was evident. And Tino Kadewere, who is arguably our most high-profile gunslinger at the moment, has been literally anonymous at best and listless at worst.

To date, he has missed about six matches for the Warriors since September.

In fact, he has not yet played under Nees, although the coach still retains faith in him for obvious reasons.

That the Nantes striker is good is self-evident, but his problems seem to be psychological than anything else.

The way he fluffs chances for the Warriors whenever he plays betrays a fatal lack of confidence when it matters the most.

He clearly needs to work on his psyche, as he still has a chance to write a beautiful story with the Warriors.

But in Terrence Dzukamanja, Nees could have a worthy option.

Had it not been for the diabolical piece of refereeing that we saw in Cameroon last week, the SuperSport United player could have scored a brace.

But it was his movement, ball control, passing and eye for goal that showed his quality.

He deserves a chance.

Solid midfield

It is in midfield that Zimbabwe seems to have the quality to decide matches.

While Bra Shakes was one of those who believed it was not helpful to call Khama Billiat from retirement, he is happy to have been proved wrong in the circumstances.

Billiat brought to life that age-old cliche that goes: Form is temporary, but class is permanent.

What he has lost in pace, he has made up for in quality through playing basic football.

The huge role he played in the qualifiers is quite telling.

And perhaps the revelation of the qualifiers was Andy Rinomhota.

His N’Golo Kante style of play was quite admirable.

He did not quite stand out, as all midfield grafters typically do (cue Manchester City’s Rodrigo), but he did put in a shift.

Add to the mix Marshal Munetsi — who, however, still has not matched his national team performances with what we usually see when he is wearing the Stade de Reims shirt — you will begin to see the inherent potential that we have.

British Brigade

In addition to Rinomhota, the British Brigade has also come with potential star players like Tawanda Chirewa, the Wolverhampton player who is on loan at Derby County; and his namesake Tawanda Masvanhise, who plays for Scottish side Motherwell.

Chirewa could have been the perfect Warriors striker if his immense and unquestionable talent did not come with an attitude.

His sulking and indecorous behaviour when substituted against Kenya in Uganda left a sour taste in the mouth.

However, Nees thankfully put his foot down.

Similarly, Masvanhise is undoubtedly a quality player, but he tries to do too much — unnecessary dribbles and wrong decisions.

The duo needs to attend to their shortcomings if they are to be part of a successful Warriors side.

Wretched defence

Bra Shakes is still to be convinced that we have the best defence we can muster.

Munashe Garananga, Teenage Hadebe and Gerald Takwara have been suspect in the qualifiers.

Garananga, for instance, was lucky not to be red-carded against Cameroon for a nasty tackle that could have easily been a second bookable offence.

Considering the quality of the sides that have qualified, more still needs to be done.

The Warriors must not be a scarecrow in Morocco, which might look menacing, but end up being exposed.

But let us not spoil the beauty of the moment and rain on the Warriors’ parade.

They did a fantastic job.

But this time, we need to proceed from the first round.

Until next time.

Peace!

Yours Sincerely,

Bra Shakes.