Mahachi wants Afcon return
FIVE months ago, Kuda Mahachi joined an elite band of just 10 Zimbabwean footballers to score on the grand stage of the Nations Cup finals after firing home the opener for the Warriors in their 2017 Afcon Group B showdown against Algeria in Gabon.
It was a defining moment for the midfielder whose goal was the equaliser for his team after Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez had cut inside, in trademark fashion, to leave Costa Nhamoinesu trailing before curling home a beauty past goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva.
Mahachi arrived in Gabon as one in a trio of All-Star Warriors forwards who were tipped to make a huge impression for the team, alongside teammates Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat, and took just 17 minutes to make his mark by scoring that goal against the Desert Foxes.
The midfielder stroked the ball home from the edge of the box to catch the goalkeeper unaware and trigger wild celebrations among the Warriors.
The match eventually ended in a 2-2 draw.
Mahachi is just one of a handful of Zimbabwean football stars to score at the Afcon finals with the others being the immortal Peter Ndlovu, the greatest Warrior of all-time, who scored three times when Zimbabwe made its debut at the tournament in Tunisia in 2004.
Ndlovu scored Zimbabwe’s first goal at the Afcon finals in a 1-2 defeat to Egypt and then scored twice in the 3-5 loss at the hands of Cameroon with midfielder Esrom Nyandoro scoring the other goal.
His late brother Adam and Joel Luphahla scored in the 2-1 victory over Algeria.
Two years later, at the 2006 Afcon finals in Egypt, Benjani Mwaruwari and Cephas Chimedza were on target for the Warriors in the 2-1 win over Ghana.
Nyasha Mushekwi, who converted the only penalty that the Warriors have earned at the Nations Cup finals, Knowledge Musona and Tendai Ndoro were also on target for Zimbabwe at the 2017 Nations Cup finals.
And, now, after basking in the glory that comes with not only playing, but scoring at the Nations Cup finals, Mahachi says he wants another dance with the tournament at the 2019 Afcon finals in Cameroon.
The 23-year-old has been brimming with confidence as the Warriors prepare to get their 2019 Afcon campaign underway with a date against Liberia at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Zimbabwe need to win at home to set the tone for the campaign in Group G which also includes Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo-Brazzaville.
Mahachi believes the Warriors still have unfinished busi- ness after they were eliminated at the group stage in Gabon, without a win, having arrived amid great expectations they could go very far in the tournament.
The midfielder provided a brutal analysis of their adventure in Gabon by saying the Warriors didn’t perform to expectations at the 2017 Nations Cup finals.
“We did not perform well at the last Afcon finals and it’s always good to get another chance to play at that stage.
“The experience of playing some of the continent’s greatest players is just wonderful,” Mahachi told The Herald.
“That’s when you also get to be noticed. So, we have to get it right in these qualifiers, we have to be there again in 2019.
“Obviously, the last Afcon tournament is now water under the bridge. We have to focus on the new campaign. I believe we have a very good squad that has so much energy and the zeal to win matches.
“We have to do it again. The good thing is we haven’t put ourselves under any kind of pressure.’’
Zimbabwe need to win at home to set the tone for the campaign in Group G
The Warriors have been in camp since last week under interim coach Norman Mapeza.
Despite some changes made to the team, the Golden Arrows winger said the unity of purpose among the players and officials was encouraging.
He said the right attitude was needed when approaching teams like Liberia, who are the complete underdogs of the group.
The Liberians have been preparing for the tie with a group of local-based players since last month, but a number of their foreign-based stars have since joined camp.
The Lone Star intensified their preparations with a 1-0 win over Sierra Leone in an international friendly match on Monday.
Their coach James Debbah has called in a host of foreign-based players to bolster his side ahead of the tough assignment in Harare.
“Liberia are not a small team, they even have players coming from overseas, but I think we need to be united as a nation and win this game.
“As a team we are really looking forward to the opening match. We are all fit and everyone is switched on. It’s a big game. We need to start these qualifiers on a high note.
“So we just have to maintain to maintain the focus. The supporters must come in their numbers to back the team,” said Mahachi.