Zimbabwe: president's message after defeat to DR Congo

28.09.26 FT AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

Zimbabwe

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DR Congo

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Despite Zimbabwe’s defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo (1-2) on Monday, September 28 in Harare, Emmerson Mnangagwa made a point of showing his support for the Warriors. In a message published after the match, the Zimbabwean president praised the national team’s performance and urged the players and technical staff to stay the course in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Emmerson Mnangagwa praises the Warriors’ fighting spirit

The day after the match, played at Harare’s National Sports Stadium, the head of state highlighted the players’ commitment despite the unfavorable result. “Our players gave everything on the pitch and treated us to a genuinely magnificent game of football ,” he said, emphasizing their character, qualities and resilience against a strong Congolese team.

For Emmerson Mnangagwa, this performance also reflects the progress of Zimbabwean football. The president therefore chose to focus on the collective effort rather than solely on the final result. The Zimbabwean president reaffirmed his support for the players and coaching staff, who are expected to regroup ahead of their upcoming matches.

The Leopards move top of Group E

On the pitch, DR Congo built their victory in the first half. Yoane Wissa opened the scoring in the 30th minute before setting up Samuel Moutoussamy for the second goal just before the break. Zimbabwe pulled one back in stoppage time through Marshall Munetsi, but could not level the score.

After their victory over Equatorial Guinea (2-0), Sébastien Desabre’s Leopards have thus recorded a second consecutive win and moved onto six points after two matchdays. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will need to bounce back in their upcoming matches to keep their qualification ambitions for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alive.

Aliou Toundé |

Editorfr

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