With the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco just weeks away, Zimbabwean football is once again in turmoil after the Warriors’ shock 1–0 defeat to Lesotho — a result that has reopened deep wounds about leadership, structure, and accountability in the national game.
While angry fans are calling for head coach Michel Nees to be fired, insiders say the real problem lies beyond the dugout. The Lesotho loss merely exposed what has long festered — weak administration, poor player development, and endless boardroom interference.
Bulawayo Chiefs coach Lizwe Nyikadzino urged the country to “go back to basics,” saying junior football must be taken seriously and a national philosophy built around local talent. “We should first focus on developing our own players,” he said, “before rushing to depend on foreign-based stars.”
Sports journalist Martin Chingachirere argued that scapegoating Nees misses the point. “Blaming one man would be a travesty of justice,” he said. “Our football’s collapse is institutional, not individual.” His colleague Makomborero Mutimukulu went further, accusing fans of double standards. “If Nees were not white, public opinion would have turned against him long ago,” he said. “It’s about structure, philosophy, and respect for the game.”
Inside the camp, defender Jordan Zemura defended the coach. “It’s nothing to do with the coach. If you have 15 chances and don’t score, that’s on us as players,” he said. “He made the substitutions. We just didn’t finish.”
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Supporters’ association president Adomsi Mukwasi Makosi admitted preparations are in disarray but suggested easing tensions by restructuring the technical team — “maybe moving Nees into an assistant role.”
Comparisons with South Africa have intensified the debate. Under Belgian coach Hugo Broos, Bafana Bafana rebuilt from the grassroots using mostly local players and are now World Cup-bound. Nees, appointed in 2024, has managed just two wins from sixteen matches despite having Premier League and Ligue 1 talent at his disposal.
Critics say his biggest handicap is off the pitch. Reports of interference from officials and political figures persist — from player selection to travel lists. Talented names like William Navaya, Tanaka Shandirwa, Kundai Benyu, and Frank Makarati have been overlooked while others with better connections get the nod. The same rot reportedly runs through the Under-17 and Under-20 teams.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Under-20s just competed at the FIFA World Cup in Chile. Zimbabwe doesn’t even have a functional age-group system.
Fan Isaac Chabwedzeka summed up the public mood: “Nees is a good coach. The system is broken, not the man. Let’s fix our football house before destroying another career.”
Even Nees has hinted at frustration: “There is too much pressure from Zimbabweans interfering to be part of the board to Morocco.”
As AFCON looms, the Warriors’ biggest opponent may not be Morocco or Nigeria — but the chaos within. The talent exists, the passion burns, but without reform, Zimbabwe’s football story will remain one of promise perpetually sabotaged by its own administrators.
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