Windhoek, Namibia — THE Zimbabwe Warriors - their pride battered by a failed World Cup campaign that ended in humiliation here on Saturday - trooped back home last night, fittingly under the cover of darkness, to face a heartbroken nation still trying to come to terms with the harsh reality of this nightmare.

Valinhos and his men finished third in Group Two, level on six points with bottom-placed Namibia, and will neither appear at the 2010 World Cup nor Nations Cup finals while their loyal fans will have to wait for about two years to see their team back in action at this level of football.

Although fate was no longer in their hands, after winning just two of nine possible points in their last three matches, the Warriors were expected to put up a brave fight against Namibia and not only exert pressure on Guinea, but also go out, should that be the case, with their pride intact.

A victory here on Saturday would have piled pressure on Guinea who would have wanted to win their final match against Kenya at home for them to squeeze past the Warriors and the Harambee Stars into first place and the bonus that comes with an automatic ticket into the next phase.

But the Warriors turned on a horror show, one of their worst on the road, as they slumped to a 2-4 defeat that was such a shocker world football governing body Fifa voted it the surprise result of all the matches played on Saturday.

"While neither of these two sides will be appearing in the next phase, Namibia's win was still wholly unexpected," said Fifa.

"Prior to the clash at the Independence Stadium in Windhoek, the Zimbabweans had lost one of their five matches in Group 2, conceding just twice in the process, while the hosts had already let in 10 and scored only three.

"A first-half goal rush from the Namibians soon changed those statistics, however, allowing them to finish on a high note."

Apparently, despite all our optimism, experts from Fifa had predicted, before the first ball was kicked in the group, that Guinea would win the battle for first place and the automatic ticket into the final qualifying phase of the competition.

The West Africans won the group after beating Kenya 3-2 in their final qualifier in Conakry on Sunday -- racing to a 3-0 lead before conceding twice in the final 10 minutes to ease into the next qualifying phase.

The same experts never believed that the Warriors, who also missed the 2008 Nations Cup finals in Ghana, had the capacity to finish second in Group Two, let alone winning the group and grabbing the automatic ticket into the next stage.

Fifa's experts believed the Warriors were short on real quality players to replace the ageing class that took them to two successive Nations Cup finals in 2004 and 2006 while their failed 2008 Nations Cup campaign showed glaring shortcomings which suggested they would struggle again.

The experts believed a team with only one player in the major leagues of the world -- Benjani -- was likely to struggle and, although the Warriors had been thrust in a relatively comfortable group, they still were unlikely to make an impact and go through to the next stage of the competition.

Surprisingly, the same experts believed that Namibia's Brave Warriors would be the dark horses in the group and had the ability to finish second, behind Guinea, and battle for one of the right runners-up spots.

Fifa's Group Two Favourites - Guinea

The country's hopes undoubtedly rest on the strong spine that runs through the team: Dianbobo Balde in central defence, the artful Pascal Feindouno in the playmaker's role and the lethal Fode Mansare up front.

Quite apart from being the most talented player Guinea has ever produced, Feindouno is an inspirational captain whose mere presence has a galvanising effect on his troops.

Fifa's Group Two Outsiders - Namibia

The Brave Warriors showed how much they have progressed by qualifying for AFCON 2008, the first time they have ever reached the continent's show- piece.

With coach Peter Ueberjahn's steady hand on the tiller and a huge wave of popular support behind them, the Namibians have the ability to navigate their way past Zimbabwe and Kenya and sail into one of the best eight runners-up berths.

Fifa on Kenya

Opposing sides never quite know what they are going to get with the inconsistent Kenyans and it is that unpredictability that makes them dangerous opponents.

If Dennis Oliech's team-mates can finally get their act together and find some consistency, they could trip up their group rivals.

The players to watch

Fode Mansare (Guinea), Pascal Feindouno (Guinea), Ismael Bangoura (Guinea), Diambobo Balde (Guinea), Dennis Oliech (Kenya) and Benjani Mwaruwari (Zimbabwe).

Speed merchant Oliech scored three times, in crucial home wins for Kenya against Guinea and Zimbabwe, while Feindouno was impressive as the creative hub of the Guinea team in all the matches.

In contrast, Benjani did not score in four of the games that he played for the Warriors in these qualifiers and maybe the skipper's failure to make an impact, especially the lack of goals, ultimately decided the fate of our national team.

As it turned out this was a contest that was decided by the big boys' home performance and had the Warriors won their home games against Kenya and Guinea, they would have qualified.

It's as simple as all that.

For such a scenario would have given the Warriors 10 points, level at the top with Guinea, with Kenya in third place on nine points and Namibia last on six points.

Kenya won all their three games at home, scoring five goals and conceding none, while Guinea won two of their three home games, scoring seven goals and conceding only two before their fans.

But, crucially, Guinea won here in Namibia - the only time that a visiting team won on the road in our group - and that helped them make up for their failure to beat the Warriors in Conakry.

While Guinea bounced back superbly from dropping two home points against the Warriors in Conakry, the Warriors appeared to be in the right direction when they made it four points in two games with victory over Namibia before the wheels came off the rails in spectacular fashion.

A defeat in Kenya torched panic and coach Valinhos became confused after dropping two further points at home in the draw against the Harambee Stars at Rufaro.

What followed was a script from the horror books.

Valinhos - The Tinkerman

The Brazilian coach used the same 18-man squad for his first three games against Guinea, Namibia and Kenya but when he lost in Nairobi, he pressed the panic button and what followed was a disaster.

By the end of the next three games, including two at home, Valinhos had used 12 more players as he chopped and changed his squad and, with that, the Warriors lost their shape completely.

Honour Gombami played 67 minutes, after coming in as a substitute, before being dumped completely.

Noel Kaseke never played one game.

Quincy Antipas played 45 minutes in Namibia in three games with the squad.

Takesure Chinyama was three times used as a late substitute before being dumped completely despite the fact that this was a team crying out for a goalscorer.

Kingston Nkatha played a cameo role, missed a good chance and was forgotten.

Energy Murambadoro was the first-choice goalkeeper in four matches and conceded two goals, away

from home, and was suddenly sacrificed for Tapuwa Kapini who conceded four goals in one match here in Namibia.

Vusa Nyoni made three substitute appearances before he was dumped and defender Sam Mutenheri even came on as an 82nd minute substitute in Kenya when we were 0-1 down and needing a striker.

Obert Moyo was in all of Valinhos' final 18-man squads for all the six games but never played even a minute of the qualifiers.

Gilbert Mushangazhike scored twice in the home game against Namibia and started in all the six matches.

Valinhos built his team around David Kutyauripo, James Matola, Zvenyika Makonese, Esrom Nyandoro and Onismor Bhasera but only one of those players -- Kaizer Chiefs wingback Bhasera -- is likely to be around when the 2012 Nations Cup qualifiers get underway.

The Brazilian coach under-estimated the influence of midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha, giving him just five minutes in Conakry, and then pulling him out in the home game against Guinea when he was the best player on view.

By the time he realised that Nengomasha was probably the best midfielder in his team, it was too late and there was only one game left -- the final qualifier against Namibia here last Saturday.

Blunt, Blunt Warriors

Ultimately, when all the dust has settled, the Warriors will realise that it was their terrible strikeforce, especially its performance at home against Kenya and Guinea that let this team down.

The frightening thing is that there is no emerging talent among the strikers back home right now.

The Artificial Turf

Stand-in skipper Zvenyika Makonese believes the artificial surface at Rufaro worked against his team.

Benjani shares the same opinion. And so do most of the players in this team.