Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Robson Sharuko
9 October 2006
Blantyre — ZIMBABWE captain Benjani Mwaruwari conceded that his team now faced a mountain to climb in their battle for a place at the 2008 Nations Cup finals but remained optimistic that the Warriors could breathe life into their campaign after the false start at the Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday.
The Portsmouth forward told Zimbabwean journalists that he was very disappointed to begin his term of office as Warriors captain on a losing note after the senior national soccer team crashed to a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Malawi.
He noted that the Warriors terribly lacked the right co-ordination -- in their first match as a team in nine months -- and they paid the price for their failure to match the Malawians who were faster and stronger.
Benjani, thrust into the Warriors' leadership to replace Peter Ndlovu, also felt that his own performance yesterday was not up to the high standards that he has set for himself while playing for club and country in recent months.
He missed the only chance for the rather subdued Warriors in the first half when he headed straight at Malawian goalkeeper Swadic Sanudi following a good cross from Cephas Chimedza.
Then Benjani struck the right upright with a fierce shot, hit on the turn, deep in the second half.
Still the captain -- starved of service throughout the entire match by a midfield that was the Warriors' weakest link -- felt he could have done better in his overall contribution to his team's cause.
And he felt, too, that the Warriors lacked the cohesion that was needed to make them an efficient unit.
"The match was difficult for us because Malawi were physically stronger and we did not match them. They were always the first on the ball and they also took advantage to the fact that we were not co-ordinated as a team.
"I believe we should have played a number of friendlies before this game -- even against a select side from home.
"When you realise that our last game as a team was in January then you can see that it was always going to be difficult for us to play as a team.
"You could see in the very first 20 minutes that the Malawians put us under a lot of pressure and that is because we were struggled to get the co-ordination right.
"Even my own performance was not that high because we were struggling to play as a team."
But Benjani felt that the defeat was not the beginning of the end of the Warriors' campaign for a place in Ghana.
"Definitely we are not out of the tournament. This is just the first game and we still have two games at home against Malawi and Morocco.
"We should now focus on those two games so that we win them and hope to also get something in Morocco.
"The point is that the two teams in our group have both won their home games -- Morocco beat Malawi and Malawi have beaten us.
"We now also need to make full use of our home games and ensure that we beat both Morocco and Malawi.
"It's disappointing to lose any game and our loss here has made it tough for us but we don't want to throw in the towel now."
He believes it is important for the fans to rally behind the Warriors -- now that they are down -- if this team is to bounce back.
"I know that the people at home are disappointed that we lost but I urge them not to throw stones at this team.
"It's not easy to play away from home and I also want them to know that it is also normal in football for a team to lose.
"They should not throw in the towel because we can turn things around. They need to come fully behind the team right now.
"Malawi went to Morocco and lost but they didn't throw in the towel and they won today.
"I think we can do the same and win our next match too and then you will have all teams with three points from two games and that will make it very interesting.
"But if we draw or lose our match at home against Morocco then we will be out of the tournament."
Benjani was impressed with the way the Malawians played their game and he believes they will also give Morocco some real problem when the Atlas Lions come here next year.
He was also happy that the football administrators had promised the Warriors to do better in the preparations for the next matches.
"They have promised us that there will be international friendlies for us in the future and that is very good.
"Once that is sorted out then we can use those games to prepare as a team rather than wait for nine months to play a game.
"I believe that something is being organised and that will be good for our campaign."
Benjani was also happy with the contribution from the two wingbacks making their full debut for the Warriors - Onismo Bhasera on the left and David Kutyauripo on the right side.
"I think they played very well, especially considering that we were away from home and it is never easy."
Bhasera was jittery in the first period but his confidence grew in the second while Kutyauripo had a reasonably good game.
But the midfield never clicked as a unit, largely because of a strangely subdued Esrom Nyandoro.
The Sundowns midfielder - usually the crown in the Warriors' midfielder - struggled throughout the game and while his commitment to the cause was again first class, his contribution was terrible.
With no creativity in midfield, it meant that the attacking duo of Benjani and Shingi Kawondera was short of supply - a sharp contrast to the other end where Russell Mwafulirwa and Esau Kanyenda got plenty of clean balls from their mobile midfield.
It was not the sort of dream start that Benjani would have wanted as the Warriors begin a new era under his leadership.
But he believes that the battering they received in the cauldron of the Kamuzu Stadium will only make the Warriors a better team.
Only time will tell.
Group 12
P W D L F A Pts
Morocco 1 1 0 0 2 0 3
Malawi 2 1 0 1 1 2 3
Zimbabwe 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Results and fixtures
02/09/06: Morocco 2-0 Malawi
07/10/06: Malawi 1-0 Zimbabwe
25/03/07: Zimbabwe v Morocco
02/06/07: Morocco v Zimbabwe
16/06/07: Malawi v Morocco
09/09/07: Zimbabwe v Malawi
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