Eddie Chikamhi — For the first time in almost four decades, Zimbabwe and Kenya national football teams are set to clash in a cup final when they feature in the Four Nations Tournament decider at Bingu National Stadium in Malawi this evening.
The match is set to kick-off at 5pm, shortly after the bronze match between hosts Malawi and Zambia at the same venue.
Zambia and Malawi are set to clash at 3pm.
The two teams rarely play each other on the international stage and this meeting will inevitably echo the famous 1985 CECAFA final that was played at Rufaro, the last time the two teams played in a cup final.
The Warriors then under the charge of the late Mickey Poole and captained by the late Misheck Chidzambwa triumphed 2-0 to win the country's first piece of silverware courtesy of goals from Shacky Tauro and Gift Mpariwa (both late).
For the record, the CECAFA success remains the only win for Zimbabwe against Kenya in international football, with the teams having played each other a total 10 times since 1982. So many things have changed over the years.
The Warriors under interim coach Norman Mapeza are currently going through transformation. Just like their opponents Kenya, and the other tournament participants Zambia and Malawi, the four-team tournament is key in preparing for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches set for June.
Mapeza, who was appointed by the ZIFA Normalisation Committee solely for this tournament, yesterday was upbeat ahead of the final. He told journalists he was looking to build on the efforts displayed by his charges in the 6-5 penalty shoot-out victory over Zambia at the weekend.
The Warriors demonstrated a remarkable fighting spirit after overturning a two-goal deficit and forcing the match into a shoot-out. Mapeza is hoping to see the same fighting spirit this evening.
"It's much about self-belief," he told journalists yesterday.
"It's much about the group and I think they did that (in the first game). It's not about the individuals, it's about the whole group. That's football.
"Football is different from tennis where you are always alone on the court but football is about collective efforts and the guys showed that when we played against Zambia.
"I am more than happy and I am looking forward to the same mentality and the same approach we had especially in the second half against Zambia," said Mapeza.
England-based Macauley Bonne and Simba Bhora forward Walter Musona scored the goals for Zimbabwe to force a tie-breaker after Mapeza's men had succumbed to first-half blows from Chipolopolo veteran Stophilla Sunzu and Clatous Chama.
Enthralled by his charges' fighting spirit, Mapeza is expected to maintain the structure of his team by retaining the core led by captain Marshall Munetsi and Andy Rinomhota in midfield.
Mapeza will also need to decide on the back four of Munashe Garan'anga, Gerald Takwara, Teenage Hadebe, and Jordan Zemura, which started against Zambia.
But the gaffer could also be tempted to see some of the new faces in the Warriors squad, the likes of Tawanda Maswanhise of Leicester City, Joey Phuthi, Brendan Galloway, Shane Maroodza, and Tivonge Rushesha who all play in England, and are being considered for integration into the system.
The Warriors, however, should not expect an easy outing. The Harambee Stars have so far been the most outstanding team in the tournament after thrashing hosts Malawi 4-0 in the semi-finals.
Kenya, who are under the tutelage of Turkish coach Engin Firat, have historically enjoyed an upper hand in their clashes with Zimbabwe.
They played 10 times, with Kenya winning five times and drawing four games.
And, the last time Zimbabwe played Kenya was in 2008 in a FIFA 2010 World Cup qualifier that ended goalless at Rufaro.
Firat has been following the Warriors' progress at the Four Team tournament and despite his team carrying the favourites' tag following the dominant display against Malawi on their turf, he was a bit sceptical about meeting Zimbabwe in this final.
"Every match has its own story so therefore we will see to tomorrow (today) because we are facing a very good team. You can understand this by the fact that they played against Zambia, who are powerhouses in Africa, coached by a great coach (Avram Grant) and they were 0-2 behind and they changed the result," said Firat.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Therefore, we know that we are facing not only quality but a team with a big character. It could be a tough match for us and it also help us to be mentally ready because we are facing a mentally strong team.
"If you win 4-0 it makes your team more relaxed than a team which came down from 0-2 to 2-2; they have more motivation and more belief, maybe.
"Therefore, we will see tomorrow (today) what happens on the field because whatever I say, the most important thing is how are the boys motivated."
Both Zimbabwe and Kenya, as well as their semi-final opponents Zambia and Malawi, are using the games as part of their preparations for the upcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
But there are even more incentives for Zimbabwe, in terms of rankings. The Warriors got into the tournament as the least-ranked side at number 124 in the world rankings and another win could earn some points since the Four Nations Tournament is a FIFA-sanctioned event. The dates of the inaugural tournament are on the FIFA calendar.
