FORMER Zimbabwe international Tinashe Nengomasha admits he’s concerned over the future of his country’s national football team following their early group stage exit at Afcon 2017.
Despite a promising 2-2 draw in their opening game against Algeria, The Warriors then lost their remaining group stage matches to leave Gabon with just a point, and bottom of Group C – a disappointing result for a team with much promise, according to their former player.
“I expected a lot from that team, because if you look at it, there are quality players, and I don’t think they achieved what they could have,” Nengomasha told Kickoff.com
“Tactically, we were inferior. Defensively we were terrible, we didn’t play as a unit – I didn’t see anything compared to other teams I have been watching.”
Zimbabwe topped their qualification group including Guinea, Malawi and Swaziland to earn a ticket to Gabon, and Nengomasha admits he’s worried that Zimbabwe have let a golden opportunity to shine on the international stage go by, and is unsure whether another chance will present itself again anytime soon.
“It’s a learning curve for most of the players – it was their first time playing at such a tournament,” he continued. “But you have to look at it in this scenario: when will be qualify for an African Cup of Nations again? If you look back at our group [in the qualifiers], taking nothing away from Swaziland and Malawi, with our current squad, we were expected to dominate them.
“So in qualifying for this Afcon, when you get such an opportunity to showcase what your country can do in terms of playing football, you have to take it, because you don’t know when you might get that opportunity again.”
Zimbabwe have been drawn in a tricky Group G alongside DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and Liberia in the race to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Cameroon.Advertisement