Johnson Progress

Zimbabwe’s senior national football team, the Warriors, is set to face a crucial World Cup qualifier against Benin on September 5, but coach Michael Nees is taking a huge gamble by relying on an unfit midfield core.

Captain Marvelous Nakamba, who has been struggling with a knee injury, is expected to anchor the team despite being far from match fit.

Nakamba’s fitness is a major concern, having played only 45 minutes in nearly four months. His club coach, Matt Bloomfield, has been candid about his progress, saying, “Marv’s working his way back to full fitness. He’s got 45 minutes under his belt. He can’t train every day because of a knee injury, so we’ve had to take it slow with him.”

Nees is pinning his hopes on Nakamba’s experience and leadership to hold together a midfield that will face Benin’s physicality in Abidjan.

The omission of Aboubakar Moffart, a commanding midfielder who has been in excellent form in the Castle Lager Premiership, has baffled many.

Nees dismissed the idea of selecting Moffart, saying, “Sorry, these three players (Nakamba, Munetsi, Rinomhota) are a little higher level than him.”

He also mentioned that Moffart played in the sixth division in Spain, implying that his experience is limited.

With Munetsi suspended and Nakamba unfit, Nees is relying on young and inexperienced midfielders Jonah Fabisch, Sean Fusire, and Prosper Padera to fill the gap.

While they have shown promise in recent friendlies, they are yet to prove themselves in competitive qualifiers.

Zimbabwe is in a tough group, with South Africa leading on 13 points, followed by Rwanda and Benin on eight points each.

The Warriors have struggled in the qualifiers, drawing four and losing two, scoring only five goals and conceding nine.

Nees insists that the team is not out of the World Cup yet, saying, “We are not yet out of the World Cup. If we win all four games, we would come to 16 points. That could be a playoff spot.”

However, the team’s performance and Nees’s comments have raised doubts about their chances.

The coach’s optimism about winning all four games and reaching the playoff spot seems like a long shot.

Zimbabweans are tired of waiting for permutations and want wins.

Nees’s gamble on an unfit midfield core and his doubts about Moffart’s abilities have raised questions about his coaching decisions.

The Warriors face a tough challenge ahead, and it remains to be seen if Nees’s strategy will pay off.