WE JUST NEED A DRAW IN OUR NEXT QUALIFIER

Robson Sharuko-Editor

WE now just need a DRAW in the Warriors’ next match next month to return to the AFCON finals next year.

The Warriors turned on the power, with a second-half goal blitz, to thrash Namibia 3-1 at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg last night.

This was the Warriors’ biggest goal feast in five years after a 3-1 victory over Lesotho in a CHAN qualifier on September 22, 2019.

The following month the Warriors beat Somalia 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier at the National Sports Stadium.

But, in terms of the AFCON qualifiers, this was the Warriors’ biggest goal feast in eight years after a 3-0 thrashing of Liberia at the National Sports Stadium in 2017.

Knowledge Musona scored all the three goals for Zimbabwe that day.

His younger brother, Walter, was the star of the show for the Warriors with his brace, including a nerveless conversion of a penalty, to help the Warriors complete a double over the Brave Warriors.

There had been a lot of debate around Knowledge Musona in the countdown to yesterday’s game.

Even the legendary Peter Ndlovu was brought in to add his voice to calls for Knowledge to end his retirement from international football and return to give the Warriors the cutting edge in attack.

However, it was his younger brother who answered the call for the provision of the goals to ensure Zimbabwe sit in a very comfortable position to qualify for the next AFCON.

The Warriors are now used to qualifying for the AFCON and made it to the last three tournaments in which they featured in the qualifiers.

They missed the last Nations Cup finals because they were frozen out of the qualifiers by a FIFA suspension. With the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon having secured one of the two tickets from Group J to the finals in Morocco next year, after a 1-0 win over Kenya in Kampala, the challenge was thrown to the Warriors.

A win for Michael Nees and his men would give them control in the battle for the final group ticket and the Warriors responded in style in the second half.

The victory means that the Warriors just need, at least, a point in their next game against the Harambee Stars of Kenya next month.

The Warriors have eight points while the Harambee Stars have half the number of those points, with just six points still to play for.

A draw in their battle on November 11 will see the Warriors get to nine points and a place in Morocco next year.

In that scenario, Kenya can only finish with eight points, even if they win their final game against Namibia, who have already been eliminated.

The Warriors will complete their campaign with a date against the Indomitable Lions in Cameroon on November 19.

But, by then, that game could just be for academic purposes should the Warriors get a point in their next match against the Harambee Stars.

This was Nees’ biggest win since he took over as coach and his team appeared to have made it four clean sheets, in his four games, only to concede a late goal which was just a face-saver for the Namibians.

Musona was the hero for the Warriors with his brace, including a beauty for the opener, in which his delicate chip beat the goalkeeper to put Zimbabwe in front.

After playing in an empty stadium on Thursday, the Warriors were able to feed off the energy from their noisy fans who made them feel very much at home.

Jordan Zemura was a menace down the left side and played probably his best game for his country.

Prince Dube scored the third goal.

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