By Goodwill Zunidza

Zimbabwe has to contend with bogey side Kenya and old enemies Cameroon for a place at the 2025 African Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.

Neighbours Namibia are the fourth team drawn in Group J of the qualifiers that begin in September this year.

Two teams from each of the 12 groups will instantly earn a spot at the 24-team finals with the Warriors bidding to return there for the first time since 2021.

The Harambee Stars of Kenya have defeated Zimbabwe twice already this year, firstly at the invitational Four Nations Tournament in Malawi in April and earlier this week at the Cosafa Cup in South Africa.

Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions start as favourites for top spot in the group given their pedigree in world football but they have had their fair share of disappointment against the Warriors who have won at least two of their several dates since independence.

The Brave Warriors will be no pushovers having recently started to make it to the Afcon finals including the previous tournament in 2023 when Zimbabwe was banned for almost two years by Fifa.

While the Warriors are still in rebuilding mode and have all but surrendered their challenge in 2026 World Cup qualifiers, there is hope the team would be adequately prepared by the time the first Afcon qualifier takes place.

Interim coach Jairos Tapera might still be in charge after a rather impressive display by his charges at Cosafa where they notched the first two outright wins in regulation time for the Warriors since the Zifa Normalisation Committee took office exactly a year ago.

Tapera’s men only succumbed to Kenya after wins over Comoros and Zambia but fans blamed lacklustre preparations – if they may be called that at all – for the mishap.

The team had travelled without any prior training session.

“This is an easy group from which our boys can qualify,” said Adomsi Mukwasi, vice-president of the Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association (ZNSSA).

“But for that to happen we need our own home stadium, a substantive Zifa leadership and a properly appointed coach.”

Zimbabwe have been forced to alternate between Rwanda and South Africa in staging their home games owing to lack of a Fifa-certified pitch in the country at present.

They participated at five finals in 2004, 2006, 2017, 2019 and 2021.