AWCON 2016: Mighty Warriors Of Zimbabwe to face Cameroon on November 25

The female Mighty Warriors of Zimbabwe will face Cameroon on November 25 in the Africa Women Cup of Nations, AWCON, in Yaounde.

After qualifying for the Rio de Janiero Olympics in 2016 at the expense of Cameroon, the Warriors will be looking forward to repeating their 1-0 victory against Cameroon.

Zimbabwe is one of the teams that have all her players plying their football trade at home.

With a squad of players who work in the army, the police, the security sector and other jobs, the absence of a professional league, coupled with a situation in which women’s national team players earn a pittance for winning historic international qualifying matches means football alone can’t pay the bills.

The team is currently coached by Coach Shadreck Mlauzi; a physical education teacher and part-time national team coach.

The female Mighty Warriors debuted in the 1991 edition of AWCON, but withdrew from the tournament before playing a match. They played their first competitive international match in in 2000, when they drew 2–2 against Uganda on November 11, 2000.

The Zimbabwe female football team has been suffering from lack of a female professional league, inadequate training facilities, failed preparation matches, withheld contractual payment and bonuses, refusal to pay for travel to away matches and refusal to pay for treatment of injured players.

The lack of interest in the female football team was also shown when the players were rewarded for qualifying for the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations with each player given $50 to buy a dress.

In addition, before their participation at the 2016 Olympics, each player was being owed $3,500 each from the association.

Despite all these, the Female Mighty Warriors continue to make a name in football. Nevertheless, their patriotic spirit has seen them break barriers.

Their adventure at the Olympics saw them come home with no point; they at least gained some experience and will be looking forward to implementing that in the tournament.

This will be their fourth appearance at the AWCON with their best performance recorded in 2000 when they ended at the fourth position.

Players To Watch Out For

Coach Shadreck Mlauzi will be counting on the veteran goalkeeper, Chido Dzingirai, defender Nobuhle Majika, midfielders Emmaculate Msipa and Mavis Chirandu, and strikers Rudo Neshamba and Captain Felistas Muzongondi as The Mighty Warriors seek to come up with an upset in Cameroon.