The Mighty Warriors beat Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0 in Harare on Sunday to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Zimbabwe needed a goal to beat the west Africans and they did exactly that at Rufaro Stadium, cheered by an enthusiastic crowd of followers.
The Mighty Warriors’ Rudo Neshamba scored the important goal to silence the Cameroonians, who tried to fight back only to be thwarted by the determined Zimbabweans.
The goal tied the encounter 2-2 and the Mighty Warriors qualified on the away goals rule. Neshamba is among the top CAF goalscorers.
The Mighty Warriors are the second team since the golden hockey girls of 1980 to participate at the global sporting gathering. The hockey side won gold in the tournament.
The women's soccer squad are the only team to qualify for the Olympic Games as the hockey side did not take part in the qualifiers but went to Moscow by invitation after some countries boycotted the Games.
Cameroon, who are the 2015 World Cup finalists and 2015 Africa Games silver medal winners, were in Zambia for almost a week to acclimatize before going to Zimbabwe for the big match.
At the same time, the Warriors beat Lesotho 3-1 in a less important Africa Nations Championship qualifier Sunday at Babourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.