The heroines carrying Zim’s COSAFA dream
MOST players in the Mighty Warriors squad have defied some form of adversity.
Their lives would have been worse off had it not been for football.
At 17, no-nonsense midfielder Shyleen Dambamuromo was a veteran banana vendor travelling between Honde Valley and Harare at least twice a week.
The Herentals Queens star almost settled for marriage before she decided to pull out at the 11th hour, and the rest is history.
Edline Mutumbami was so frustrated that she wanted to quit football as her parents did not want her to play the game.
It took the intervention of passionate Checheche-based football coach Sailas Chawira to rescue her career.
Winger Alice Moyo grew up at a Children’s Home in Mutare and never imagined that one day she would represent the country as a footballer.
The 22-year-old initially wanted to play basketball but was often overlooked for being “too tiny”.
She only realised she could play football professionally after she was identified by Faith Drive Academy scouts at a tournament where she was a bit-part player.
Goalkeeper Cynthia Shonga also has her own peculiar tale, so are Maudy Mafuruse, Christabel Katona and Purity Mugayi. The list is endless.
This crop of Mighty Warriors has the odds stacked against them.
They are the first team to play at an international tournament following the lifting of FIFA’s two-year suspension of Zimbabwe.
They are seen as underdogs of sorts at the ongoing COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa.
But the group is dominated by players who have defied the odds all their lives, and that alone can help them over the line.
They started their campaign on a high, beating Lesotho 1-0 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on Friday.
With Namibia and Botswana playing out a 1-1 draw, Zimbabwe are in the driving seat in Group C.
And they can dare to dream.
“We are very happy as players that we are back to the international fora,” said Dambamuromo.
“As a team, we have always told each other that everything is possible.
“We are happy that we managed to beat Lesotho in our first match on Friday.
“That first game was very crucial as far as
our future in the tournament was concerned.
“We are looking not only to win the next matches but to go all the way and even win the cup itself. Nothing is impossible in this world.”
Zimbabwe play Namibia at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto tomorrow.
For Moyo, it is a must-win encounter. “We are carrying a positive mentality into that match,” she said.
“Namibia is a very good team and we can’t afford to slip up. We need to top the group, so we must be focused as a team.
“We have very good players in our fold, who can give the nation what it deserves. Winning the COSAFA trophy will be good for the nation,
especially coming from a very difficult period.”
Winners of each of the three groups of four teams will advance to the semi-finals, with the best-performing runners-up across the pools also going through to the last four.
“We need to finish on top of the group — no excuses,” said Moyo.
“Our destiny is within our control. So, it’s up to us to continue posting results.”
Shonga, who suffered a hip injury in the opening match against Lesotho, is back and could be thrust into action tomorrow.
Zimbabwe will conclude their group ties with a date against Botswana on Wednesday as they bid for their first COSAFA title since 2011.