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OpenMagwizi Pledges To Fulfill 9-Year-Old Promise To Mighty Warriors
The new ZIFA board has pledged to fulfil a promise made nine years ago to reward the Mighty Warriors, Zimbabwe’s women’s senior football team, with 30 residential stands for qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics and the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.
ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi made the during a presentation to the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).
Back in 2016, then-Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane had promised the stands as a reward for the team’s remarkable achievement. Said Magwizi (via Chronicle):
When the women went to the Olympics in 2016, they were promised some stands. Am I correct?.
So, we are going to come to you with that issue. We want to follow it up. That’s what we want. These national team players, who raised our flag high at that time, were given that promise.
So, I hope you will be able to enlighten us on that matter because it is a very important issue. It sets the right tone and attitude, even for us as an administration, to be able to fulfil our obligations.
In 2016, the Mighty Warriors made history as the first football team from Zimbabwe to qualify for the finals of a major global tournament—the Olympic Games.
Their stunning achievement came after they triumphed over continental heavyweights Cameroon in the final qualifier the year before.
But their success didn’t stop there. The team also secured a spot in the finals of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, defeating Zambia in the final qualifying round.
Their hard-earned victories were celebrated with a dinner where, amid the festivities, then-Sports Minister Makhosini Hlongwane made the promise to the team.
Hlongwane said that the government could not offer cash rewards, but would provide 30 housing stands in Harare as a token of recognition.
Since that moment, the Mighty Warriors have made several attempts to follow up on the promise, but their efforts have been in vain.
SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa agreed with Magwizi that any public promise should be kept.
SRC Commissioner Nigel Munyati lamented the ongoing neglect of women’s football, saying the Warriors often receive preferential treatment over the women’s teams. Said Munyati:
It’s actually reminding me of something about football and women. There has been a tendency to view women’s football as a lower-tier institution, with more attention given to the Warriors than the Mighty Warriors. They don’t receive the same level of support.
But something we should all remember is that the most significant achievements in Zimbabwean football have actually come from women’s football.
They made it to the Olympics in 2016 – the men haven’t gotten that far. So, we must appreciate that. I think this is an area that needs to change.
The Mighty Warriors are gearing up for a crucial battle as they prepare for the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 qualifiers against Angola later this month.
The team is currently in camp, training hard with one goal in mind: to secure a spot in the tournament.
Their journey will begin on 20 February in Luanda, where they’ll face Angola in the first leg.
But with Zimbabwe lacking a CAF-approved stadium for international matches, the Mighty Warriors will return to their adopted home, Lucas Moripe Stadium in South Africa, to host Angola for the return leg.
If the Mighty Warriors can conquer Angola, they will advance to face the winner of the Malawi vs. Congo match.
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