HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe national football team, the Warriors, have received an invitation from the Malta Football Association for a friendly match in Malta scheduled for March.
If accepted, the friendly will take place during the FIFA international break from March 18 to 26.
Zimbabwe Football Association’s (ZIFA) Normalisation Committee Chairman, Lincoln Mutasa, confirmed the invitation and mentioned that they are yet to confirm whether they will accept the offer.
Mutasa stated, “We still have to confirm, but we are working towards that.”
The Warriors’ last matches, under the guidance of Portuguese coach Baltemar Brito, ended in draws against Rwanda and Nigeria.
With their coach’s contract expiring on December 31, 2023, the selection of the next interim coach is in progress.
Indications suggest that Dynamos coach Genesis Mangombe might take over, with Bongani Mafu as his assistant.
Zimbabwe Warriors set for local coach
Mutasa emphasized the decision to appoint a local coach, stating, “We have decided to engage a local coach, and we will come up with a decision in the next two weeks.”
The Zimbabwe national team is currently in Group C for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
After the goalless draw with Rwanda and a 1-1 draw against Nigeria, the Warriors hold the fifth position on the group’s log table with two points.
Rwanda leads Group C with four points, drawing against Zimbabwe and defeating South Africa’s Bafana Bafana 2-0.
The upcoming friendly against Malta offers the Warriors an opportunity to fine-tune their strategies before they resume their World Cup qualifiers campaign in June.
The team is set to host Lesotho on June 3 at a yet-to-be-announced venue.
Zimbabwe is currently in contention for a spot in the World Cup and aims to climb the group standings in the upcoming matches.
