Sports
Afcon 2013
Warriors are armchair observers again, South Africa’s time in the sun, last hurrah for Drogba and company…
Indeed, the prospect of watching our own little wizard Khama Billiat weaving his way past such established African stars as Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue would have left many Warriors fans drooling. Even the Zimbabwean corporate world was caught up in the Afcon fever with an ambitious project, termed Mzansi 90, set up to source funding for the Warriors ahead of what was supposed to become the Warriors’ third appearance in the tournament. Mbada Diamonds led the charge, contributing an initial US$200 000 towards the Warriors’ cause. An Air Zimbabwe jet was even chartered for the Warriors’ trip to Angola where the team was expected to build on their 3-1 first leg lead and secure qualification for Afcon 2013. Such was the optimism. But alas, it turned out to be a typical case of “building castles in the air” as the Warriors conspired to disappoint yet again, losing 2-0 in Luanda to tumble out on the away goals rule. Disappointment for the local corporates and the Mzansi 90 team. Déjà vu for the Warriors who had once again missed out on a shot at continental February 2013
T
Parade Writer he 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations is already underway in South Africa and for the umpteenth time, Zimbabweans have been reduced to distant observers following the Warriors’ failure to qualify for the tournament yet again. Of the 17 tournaments held since Zimbabwe’s readmission to international football in 1980, the Warriors have qualified just twice – in Tunisia 2004 and Egypt 2006 – so missing out on the Afcon finals is a familiar story for us. Yet for local football lovers, missing out on the tournament this time round still hurts a little more. After all, the route to the finals was much shorter – just two beatable opponents over two knockout rounds. Just four matches instead of the usual eight to 10 qualifying matches; Just East and Southern African opponents instead of the usual mix of the tough West African and technically gifted North African opponents. Surely the road to Mzansi could not have been any easier. But the Warriors just had to be armchair observers yet again. After a hat-trick of misses since their
last participation at the 2006 edition of the tournament in Egypt, few Warriors fans would have expected their favourite team to miss out for a fourth successive time after what appeared a forgiving draw for the 2013 edition. The Warriors were paired with East African lightweights Burundi in the first round and despite fielding a much changed side in the wake of the Asiagate suspensions, still managed to outfox their opponents to qualify for the final qualifying round. The Warriors lost 1-2 in the first leg in Burundi before a 1-0 win at home in Harare saw them qualify on the away goals rule. And just as Warriors supporters had hoped, Zimbabwe got a “good” final round draw, being paired against Southern African rivals and regular sparring partners Angola for a place in the finals tournament. A 3-1 home victory in the first leg at Rufaro stadium in Harare left many a Zimbabwean football fan dreaming of a trip to South Africa to watch their local boys in action against the best of Africa – talk of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, Emmanuel Adebayor and Seydou Keita, to mention but just a few.
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