Zimbabweans are celebrating the Mighty Warriors’ weekend feat as the golden girls qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games after defeating the Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0.
Rudo Neshamba scored the important goal to silence the Cameroonians. The goal tied the encounter 2-2 and the Mighty Warriors qualified on the away goals rule.
The players could not hold their tears of joy and captain, Felistus Muzongondi, said they are happy to have achieved this feat, adding that it had not come all that easy.
What a way to do it than in front of thousands of soccer fans, who thronged the stadium, including the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Makhosini Hlongwane, who hailed the achievement of the country’s girl child.
Hlongwane said he will be consulting his colleagues in government to see how best they can reward the first-ever Zimbabwean team to qualify for the global sports festival.
Zifa Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Mashingaidze, said the success of the Mighty Warriors is the right tonic Zimbabwe needs after enduring years of frustration through the Warriors to qualify for any big international competitions like the World Cup.
Mashingaidze said the cash-strapped Zifa will also be talking with the government on how to make the Mighty Warriors happy.
There were celebration too at Barboufields Stadium where the Warriors of Zimbabwe took a healthy 3-1 lead over Lesotho in the first leg of the final qualifying round of the 2016 Africa Nations Championships.
Two goals from Roderick Mutuma and another from captain Danny Phiri put Zimbabwe in the driving seat ahead of the return leg in Maseru in two weeks-time.
There were no celebrations, however, in cricket. The Chevrons were Sunday beaten by 58 runs by visiting Afghanistan to level the series at one-all at Queens Sports Club.
The two teams are playing a five One Day International or ODI Series.
The talk of the sporting fraternity, however, remains the Mighty Warriors’ Olympic Games qualification.
