The Warriors are on the rise again. Yesterday they moved four places up in the Fifa/Coca-Cola rankings to land at 70 in the world and 16 in Africa after the 2-1 win over South Africa in an international friendly match at Rufaro Stadium last week.
Zimbabwe had fallen to 74 in the world and 17 in Africa following the 2-1 loss to Cape Verde Islands in the last match of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier in Praia on October 8.
The Warriors have to start their preparations now for the 2013 Afcon and the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. In the Afcon 2013 qualifiers, they will play Burundi — ranked 41 in Africa and 145 in the world — to qualify for the next stage.
In the World Cup qualifiers, the Warriors will play record seven-time African champions Egypt, Mozambique and Guinea.
The Pharoahs are ranked the fourth best team in Africa and 31st in the world, Mozambique are 27th on the continent and 105 in the world while Guinea are perched 79 in the world and 18 in Africa.
Ten Warriors have organised two friendly matches against Botswana in Gaborone and Bulawayo in a bid to keep active until the World Cup qualifiers begin in June.
Botswana, ranked 23rd in Africa and 96 in the world, qualified for the 2012 Afcon finals from a group where they had to beat Tunisia, Togo, Chad and Malawi while (poor) Zimbabwe will be watching the proceedings from television after failing to beat lowly Liberia (away) and Cape Verde home and away.
Tomorrow, a squad of locally-based players head to Tanzania for the Cecafa Tuskers Senior Challenge Cup. Meanwhile, Ivory Coast remained the best team in Africa, followed by Ghana, Algeria and Egypt.
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Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, South Africa, Cape Verde Islands and Tunisia complete the top ten.
