The national senior women’s football team, the Mighty Warriors, will fancy their chances of qualifying to the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AFWCON) after they received what looks like a relatively easy draw.
BY HENRY MHARA
The Shadreck Mlauzi-coached side, who are flying high after their recent historic qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics, will take on Tanzania in the first round qualifiers.
The draw was conducted on the sidelines of the recently held Caf annual meetings from October 21-28, by the respective standing committees during their meetings.
Seven teams will emerge from the qualifiers to join hosts Cameroon for the final tournament scheduled for November 19 to December 3, 2016.
The Mighty Warriors will travel to Tanzania for the first leg on the weekend of March 4-6 before hosting the return match two weeks later.
The two teams last met in the 2004 final qualifier, with Zimbabwe progressing through, the last time they featured at the finals.
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They then met three times afterwards, including in the 2011 Cosafa Cup semi-final in Harare, with the Mighty Warriors conquering on all occasions.
Should Zimbabwe progress, as is hugely expected, they will meet either Zambia or Namibia in the final qualifying round.
The first leg of the matches will be played on the weekend of April 8-10 before the return leg two weeks later.
Holders Nigeria, along with Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Ivory Coast, received first-round byes due to their high rankings.
The Mighty Warriors missed out on the previous AFWCON finals held in Namibia last year, after losing to Zambia. However, they got their revenge on their neighbours, booting them out of the Rio Olympic qualifiers.
Zimbabwe, who have participated in the AFWCON finals three times before in 2000, 2002 and 2004, will use the qualifiers to prepare for the Rio Olympics which will begin in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, four months later.
