Johnson Progress

Zimbabwe’s Young Mighty Warriors suffered a setback in their quest to qualify for the 2026 Under 20 World Cup, losing 2-1 to Rwanda in the first leg of the qualifiers in Kigali on Sunday.

Rwanda took an early lead, scoring in the second minute through a header off a free kick delivery.

Bethel Kondo pulled one back for Zimbabwe, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 18th minute.

However, Rwanda regained the lead in the second half, scoring in the 50th minute to secure a 2-1 advantage heading into the second leg.

Despite making several efforts to score an equalizer, Zimbabwe was unable to breach the Rwandan defense.

Commenting after the match, Zimbabwean coach Gartly Chipuka said he was expecting the outcome.

“We were expecting it because mentally we were not prepared for this game,” he said.

Chipuka attributed the loss to nerves and avoidable mistakes, saying, “Mistakes of the goals were avoidable mistakes, we are going to work on it.”

Despite the setback, Chipuka remains optimistic about Zimbabwe’s chances in the second leg.

“Now that we know how Rwanda plays, we are going to prepare much better. So, we still come on Wednesday, we can’t really read much into these results,” he added.

The Young Mighty Warriors will need to mount a strong comeback on Wednesday, requiring a win by more than two goals to overturn the deficit and qualify for the World Cup.

This year’s qualifiers are particularly significant, with 38 teams competing for just four coveted spots in the 12th edition of the 2026 Under 20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for Poland in September.

Zimbabwe has opted to host the second leg in Rwanda due to the lack of a Confederation of African Football (CAF) approved stadium in the country. The team will need to put aside their home disadvantage and focus on securing a win that will take them to the next stage of the qualifiers.

The loss has given the Young Mighty Warriors a reality check, and they will need to regroup and refocus if they are to achieve their goal of qualifying for the World Cup. With Chipuka at the helm, the team is determined to learn from their mistakes and come back stronger in the second leg.