SO for the first time since 1980 there will be that illuminating gold and green at the Rio Olympic games in Brazil next year.
By John Mokwetsi,Online Editor
It really felt proud to be Zimbabwean to watch a bevy of girls displaying a gallant show that deflated fancied Cameroon.
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The nation woke up today to the reality of this team going to the Olympics gig in Brazil, Rio.
Quite frankly-they deserve their seats at the global sporting show case.
Zimbabwe senior women football made history by qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
With their qualification, they became the first football team to qualify for a global football tournament and the first sport team to qualify for the Olympics since the women’s hockey team in 1980.
Playing at Rufaro all they needed was a solitary goal and a clean sheet having lost the first leg 2-1 in Cameroon.
It was not a majestic performance that dispatched a fighting and technically up to date Cameroon team, but a Rudo Neshamba goal was enough for a plane ride to Rio and the football gods smiled to allow the nation to see another day of top class football next year. It was sheer determination. It was breaking sweat and inch by inch the soccer team, many never gave a chance, stood like a colossus alongside another Southern African qualifier-the neighbouring South Africa.
Social media has been proud and the corridors of the social networks like Facebook and Twitter have been abuzz with messages of jubilation as the euphoria has even relegated the win by the men’s team to the margins. Zimbabwe won 3-1 against minions Lesotho at Barbourfields to have one leg into the CHAN tournament. They need to win their return leg to qualify for that tournament.
The warriors needed a Roderick Mutuma’s brace as well as a Danny “Deco” Phiri strike to edge close to qualification.
Coincidentally, the two nations USA and Japan that met in the final of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Frankfurt won by Japan on penalties, met again in the last 2012 Summer Olympics Women’s final tournament where USA won 2-1.
