Zimbabwe national football team
The Zimbabwe national football team, nicknamed The Warriors, represents Zimbabwe in men's international football and it is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), formerly known as the Football Association of Rhodesia. The team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals, but has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations four times. Zimbabwe has won the COSAFA Cup a record six times, The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Nickname(s) | The Warriors | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Zimbabwe Football Association | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | COSAFA (Southern Africa) | ||
Head coach | Zdravko Logarušić | ||
Captain | Knowledge Musona | ||
Most caps | Peter Ndlovu (100) | ||
Top scorer | Peter Ndlovu (38) | ||
FIFA code | ZIM | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 111 ![]() | ||
Highest | 40 (April 1995) | ||
Lowest | 131 (October 2009, February–March 2016) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Salisbury, Rhodesia; 26 June 1929) | |||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Gaborone, Botswana; 26 August 1990) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (South Africa; 9 April 1977) | |||
Africa Cup of Nations | |||
Appearances | 4 (first in 2004) | ||
Best result | Group stage (2004, 2006, 2017, and 2019) |
History
Southern Rhodesia played their first official match against the England Amateur national football team as part of their tour of South Africa and Rhodesia in June 1929. Southern Rhodesia lost their first two matches against England 4–0 and 6–1 respectively.[2] In 1965, following Southern Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence as Rhodesia, FIFA requested that the Football Association of Rhodesia reform to be a multi-racial organisation. Prior to this only white Rhodesians were selected for the national football team but after 1965 the team became multi-racial.[3] In 1969, Rhodesia took part in the Confederation of African Football 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament. This was their first attempt to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Contrary to the team being viewed as the representative team of white Rhodesians, the team was multi-racial including black players.[4] They were drawn against the Australia national football team. Both legs were held in Lourenco Marques, Portuguese Mozambique as the Rhodesian team were unable to get Australian visas. Rhodesia drew the first leg 1–1 but lost the second leg 3–1 thus eliminating Rhodesia from qualification.[4]
In 1980, following the country's reconstitution as Zimbabwe, they played their first FIFA World Cup qualifying match for 11 years against the Cameroon national football team. However they lost 2–1 on aggregate after a 1–0 win in the first leg in Salisbury and a 2–0 loss in the second leg.[5][6] Following this, the country passed a law that people who held British passports would not be permitted to hold a Zimbabwean passport, which mean that players such as goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar were not selected for the national team for 10 years.[7] Following a change in policy that allowed Grobbelaar to play for Zimbabwe, who entered the country on his British passport, Zimbabwe under manager Reinhard Fabisch were one match away from qualifying for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. However, they lost their final qualifying match to Cameroon.[7][8]
In 2004, Zimbabwe qualified for their first Africa Cup of Nations. During their first match against Egypt, their former anthem "Ishe Komborera Africa" was accidentally played instead of "Simudzai Mureza wedu weZimbabwe", an act which Information Minister Jonathan Moyo called "a cheap attempt by the organisers to demoralise our boys".[9]
In 2015, the Zimbabwe national football team were banned from participating in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying due to an unpaid debt to former coach, José Claudinei.[10] At the time, the team was experiencing its strongest period for many years, qualifying for both the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Achievements
Competition records
World Cup record
FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
![]() ![]() |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify from Asia/Oceania zone | Did not qualify from Asia/Oceania zone | ||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() |
Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify from African zone | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
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4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | ||||||||||
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10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | ||||||||||
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8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 10 | ||||||||||
![]() ![]() |
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 6 | ||||||||||
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12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 16 | ||||||||||
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6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||
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6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | ||||||||||
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Expelled from qualifying competition[11] | Expelled from qualifying competition | ||||||||||||||
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To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
Total | — | 0/21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | 21 | 16 | 23 | 60 | 71 |
Africa Cup of Nations record
Africa Cup of Nations | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appearances: 4 | ||||||||
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
![]() ![]() |
Not affiliated to CAF | |||||||
![]() ![]() |
Did not qualify | |||||||
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Group stage | 14th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
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13th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |
![]() ![]() |
Did not qualify | |||||||
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Group stage | 14th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
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21st | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |
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To be determined | |||||||
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Total | Group stage | 4/32 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 27 |
African Nations Championship record
African Nations Championship | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Appearances: 4 | ||||||||
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
![]() | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
![]() | 11th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
![]() | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
![]() | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
![]() | Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | To be determined | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
Total | Fourth place | 5/6 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 11 |
African Games record
- Football at the African Games has been an under-23 tournament since 1991.
African Games record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
![]() | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
![]() | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
![]() | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
![]() | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1991–present | See Zimbabwe national under-23 football team | |||||||
Total | 4/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
COSAFA Cup record
- 1997 – Qualifying round
- 1998 – Second place
- 1999 – Quarter-finals
- 2000 – Winners
- 2001 – Second place
- 2002 – Quarter-finals
- 2003 – Winners
- 2004 – Semi-finals
- 2005 – Winners
- 2006 – Semi-finals
- 2007 – First round
- 2008 – Quarter-finals
- 2009 – Winners
- 2010 – Cancelled
- 2013 – Second place
- 2015 – Group stage
- 2016 – Group stage
- 2017 – Winners
- 2018 – Winners
- 2019 – Third place
COSAFA Cup
COSAFA Cup Record | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Rank | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1997 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2002 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2004 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 0/19 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2019
26 June 2019 AFCON | Uganda ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() | Cairo, Egypt |
19:00 CAT | Okwi ![]() |
Report | Billiat ![]() |
Stadium: Cairo International Stadium Referee: Eric Otogo-Castane (Gabon) |
30 June 2019 AFCON | Zimbabwe ![]() | 0–4 | ![]() | Cairo, Egypt |
21:00 CAT | Report | Bolingi ![]() Bakambu ![]() Assombalonga ![]() |
Stadium: 30 June Stadium Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) |
5 September 2022 WCQ | Somalia ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() | Djibouti City, Djibouti[note 1] |
|
Report | Stadium: El Hadj Hassan Gouled Aptidon Stadium |
10 September 2022 WCQ | Zimbabwe ![]() | 3–1 (3–2 agg.) | ![]() | Harare, Zimbabwe |
15:00 UTC+2 | Report (FIFA) |
|
Stadium: National Sports Stadium Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona (Madagascar) |
15 November 2021 AFCONQ | Zimbabwe ![]() | 0–0 | ![]() | Harare, Zimbabwe |
18:00 UTC+2 | Stadium: National Sports Stadium |
19 November 2021 AFCONQ | Zambia ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() | Lusaka, Zambia |
18:00 UTC+2 |
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Stadium: National Heroes Stadium |
Source: Soccerway
- Played in Djibouti due to security concerns from the ongoing civil war
Players
Current squad
- The following players were selected for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification against Botswana and Zambia .[12]
- Match date(s): 15–19 November
- Opposition:
Botswana and Zambia - Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2019, after the match against Zambia.[13]
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Elvis Chipezeze | 11 March 1990 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | GK | Talbert Shumba | 12 May 1990 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
GK | Simbarashe Chinani | 16 September 1995 | 0 | 0 | ![]() | |
17 | DF | Teenage Hadebe | 17 September 1995 | 24 | 4 | ![]() |
DF | Partson Jaure | 8 July 1990 | 23 | 1 | ![]() | |
6 | DF | Alec Mudimu (C) | 8 April 1995 | 18 | 0 | ![]() |
DF | Ronald Pfumbidzai | 25 December 1994 | 16 | 2 | ![]() | |
DF | Cliff Moyo | 3 April 1993 | 10 | 0 | ![]() | |
DF | Kelvin Moyo | 3 April 1993 | 6 | 0 | ![]() | |
2 | DF | Ian Nekati | 7 August 1989 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
11 | MF | Khama Billiat | 19 August 1990 | 41 | 15 | ![]() |
10 | MF | Ovidy Karuru | 23 January 1989 | 39 | 7 | ![]() |
22 | MF | Kudakwashe Mahachi | 29 September 1993 | 29 | 3 | ![]() |
MF | Marvelous Nakamba | 19 January 1994 | 19 | 0 | ![]() | |
8 | MF | Nyasha Munetsi | 22 June 1996 | 19 | 1 | ![]() |
13 | MF | Thabani Kamusoko | 2 March 1988 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
MF | Butholezwe Ncube | 24 April 1992 | 4 | 0 | ![]() | |
FW | Knowledge Musona | 21 June 1990 | 40 | 22 | ![]() | |
18 | FW | Knox Mutizwa | 12 October 1993 | 16 | 5 | ![]() |
15 | FW | Terrence Dzvukamanja | 5 May 1994 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
FW | Prince Dube | 17 February 1997 | 9 | 3 | ![]() |
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for Zimbabwe in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DF | Peter Muduhwa | 11 August 1993 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Divine Lunga | 28 May 1995 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | MacClive Phiri | 17 June 1993 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Tichaona Chipunza | 8 June 1994 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Phineas Bamusi | 29 December 1990 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Sipho Ndlovu | 7 October 1994 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Evans Rusike | 13 June 1990 | 26 | 4 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Clive Augusto | 26 July 1994 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Admiral Muskwe | 21 August 1998 | 4 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Tino Kadewere | 5 January 1996 | 15 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up. |
Records
- As of 10 September 2019
- Players in bold text are still active with Zimbabwe.
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References
- "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
- "England Matches – Unofficial". Englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- Gilchrist, Paul (2013). The Politics of Sport: Community, Mobility, Identity. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 1317990994.
- "When Rhodesia flirted with the World Cup". FIFA.com. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- "Cameroon national football team: record v Zimbabwe". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises Limited. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- "1982 FIFA World Cup Spain – Matches – Zimbabwe-Cameroon". FIFA.com. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- Hawkey, Ian. "When Peter Ndlovu and Bruce Grobbelaar made Zimbabwe dare to dream". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- "World Cup 1994 Qualifying". Rsssf. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- "Anger over Zimbabwe anthem gaffe". BBC News. 26 January 2004. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- "Zimbabwe expelled from 2018 World Cup". BBC Sport. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- "Zimbabwe expelled from the preliminary competition of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia". FIFA.com. 12 March 2015.
- Antipas names new-look Warriors squad
- Zimbabwe - National Football Teams
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zimbabwe national football team. |
- Zimbabwe Football Association official website