Zimbabwe: Ramon Catalá warns DR Congo

28.09.26 12:00 AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

Zimbabwe

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DR Congo

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On the eve of the meeting between Zimbabwe and DR Congo, Ramon Catalá showed his respect for the Leopards while refusing to be intimidated by the status of their internationals. At a press conference in Harare, the Spanish coach of the Warriors also stressed the importance of public support for this second round of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.

Zimbabwe go into this match with three points, following their spectacular win over Sierra Leone (3-2). Trailing 2-0, the Warriors turned the game around, helped in particular by a brace from Marshall Munetsi. DR Congo also have three points after beating Equatorial Guinea (2-0). The two teams are therefore level ahead of their meeting at the National Sports Stadium.

Catalá acknowledges the quality of the Congolese internationals

The Zimbabwe coach knows the quality of the opponent facing his team. Before the start of the campaign, he had already described DR Congo as a “big team” and explained that his staff had studied their opponents using several videos.

On Sunday, Catalá once again highlighted the individual quality of the Leopards, several of whom play in major European leagues. But in his view, those credentials will no longer matter once the match kicks off.

“We respect their players and we know them well. They all play in major leagues, but that’s on paper. On the pitch, it’s 90 minutes, eleven against eleven. We will try to be as good as them,” he said.

The Spanish coach therefore wants to prevent the status of the Congolese internationals from creating an inferiority complex within his squad. Zimbabwe will have to prove themselves on the pitch against a Congolese team that also made a successful start to these qualifiers.

Read also: Zimbabwe - DR Congo: where and when to watch the 2027 AFCON qualifying match?

The coach is counting on the Harare crowd

Catalá is also relying on support from the crowd at the National Sports Stadium. Alongside his captain Marvelous Nakamba, he called on Zimbabwean supporters to turn out in large numbers to get behind the Warriors.

“The emotional aspect is very important. I think the supporters will help us a lot and we believe that we will have our opportunities,” the coach said.

Catalá also wants to see the supporters, players, federation and media united around the same goal: helping Zimbabwe return to the AFCON finals.

The mindset shown against Sierra Leone as a benchmark

The coach above all wants to see the same fighting spirit against the Leopards that his team displayed on the opening day. Against Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe refused to give up after conceding two goals and eventually turned the match around.

“What we took from that match was the spirit of the team and the players, that determination not to give up and to keep going until the end,” he explained.

That ability to respond will be put to the test against DR Congo. Both teams won their opening match and can already gain a valuable advantage at the start of this campaign.

For Catalá, the objective is clearly defined: qualify Zimbabwe for AFCON 2027.

“With unity among everyone—the supporters, the players, the federation and the media—we can achieve results and, ultimately, qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, which is our main objective,” he said.

The meeting in Harare will therefore pit two teams against each other that began these qualifiers with a win. For Zimbabwe, it will also be their first home match of the campaign under Ramon Catalá.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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