Langton Nyakwenda
TINO KADEWERE is back at Olympic Lyon after a rather below-par loan spell at Spanish side Real Mallorca, but events in Harare last week left the dreadlocked striker inspired to represent Zimbabwe once again.
The 27-year-old is in the Netherlands for a pre-season camp with Lyon and scored a brilliant goal as the French side edged Dutch lower-league side De Treffers 2-1 in their first friendly match on Friday night.
Lyon play Manchester United on Wednesday, but the big friendly has not distracted Kadewere from following events back home.
Zimbabwe were on Tuesday readmitted into the international football family, ending a 17-month FIFA suspension.
FIFA also announced a four-member Normalisation Committee headed by former Dynamos chairperson Lincoln Mutasa to run ZIFA affairs.
The committee — which also comprises ex-Mighty Warriors captain and coach Rosemary Mugadza, former Highlanders player Sikhumbuzo Ndebele and lawyer Nyasha Sanyamandwe — will be in charge of the national game for the next 12 months.
Zimbabwe’s return coincided with the draw for the 2026 World Cup African Zone qualifiers held in Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday night.
The Warriors were placed in Group C — alongside traditional giants Nigeria, neighbouring South Africa, Benin, Rwanda and Lesotho.
Nine group winners will automatically qualify for the finals and one team, from among the best runners-up, will enter a FIFA play-off tournament.
It has been a colourful week in which local football spirits were lifted after the gloom that had followed the country’s suspension.
Zimbabwe’s return also signalled the end of the forgettable Felton Kamambo era.
“Honestly, this is the greatest news ever. We are happy and very proud to be able to play for our country once again, so we all hope for the best,” Kadewere told The Sunday Mail Sport.
The Warriors will play their first qualifier in November and Kadewere will be praying for more game time at Lyon to make the squad.
“So far so good. I am really happy to be back (at Lyon) and things have been going very well. It’s amazing. The preparations are going so well and we just wait and see how everything goes.”
He is one of the European-based players expected to form the core of the Warriors squad.
Roving Udinese wingback Jordan Zemura and midfielders Marshall Munetsi (Reims) and Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa) will also likely be part of the new-look Warriors.
“I think the World Cup draw was a bit fair; of course, we have to take our chances.
“I believe we can do well; we just need to take every game as a final and make sure we get maximum points.”
The Olympic Lyon striker featured for the Warriors in their last international match, when they beat Guinea 2-1 in a group game at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Cameroon on January 18, 2022.
He came on as a second-half introduction for Zemura.
CAPS United right-back Godknows “Zizou” Murwira, who started in the same match, is also confident Zimbabwe can recover from the recent slumber.
“We have qualified for AFCON finals ahead of most of the countries before.
“Nigeria are African giants, but these will be home-and-away fixtures, so you never know what will happen. If we have preparations in time, I feel we can come out tops,” said Murwira.
However, some football administrators and coaches think Zimbabwe should look beyond the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, as they feel the country needs to put in place strong junior development football structures.
To them, the installation of a Normalisation Committee is a golden opportunity for Zimbabwe football to rediscover itself.
“It’s an opportunity for the real football people to reclaim their game from chancers,” former Warriors coach Wieslaw Grabowski said.
“We have a lot of retired footballers who are educated, some have degrees and attended high-profile football courses. The next ZIFA elections should be their opportunity to get into football administration.”
Former ZIFA Masvingo province chairperson Naboth Magwizi hopes the Normalisation Committee will call for an all stakeholders meeting to discuss the way forward.
“I just hope the committee is going to put more energy in developing junior football in all the provinces.
“An all-stakeholders’ meeting is needed,” he said.
Zimbabwe players in the diaspora are also following local events with keen interest.
There are a number of players of Zimbabwe origin who are currently plying their trade in Europe.
These include Liverpool’s Isaac Mabaya, Reiss Neilson (Arsenal) and Tawanda Masvanhise of Leicester City.
There are also a number of good players on the domestic front who will be hoping to play with consistency in the Premiership and be in the reckoning for a national team call-up.
■ @LangtonGuraz