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Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees says World Cup qualifying group is still open

Zimbabwe Warriors head coach Michael Nees has emphasised that their main project is to get the World Cup ticket.

Zimbabwe’s next two qualifier games are against Benin on March 20 and Nigeria on March 25.

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With only two points from four games, the Warriors face a daunting task to turn their campaign around.

A win or draw for Zimbabwe against Nigeria will further jeopardize Nigeria’s chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup.

What Nees said

Nees said that nothing has been decided in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group, despite the team’s current position at the bottom of Group C.

The 57-year-old remains optimistic, highlighting that there are still six games to go and 18 points to play for.

The German coach acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming games, particularly against Benin, who have an experienced coach in Gernot Rohr and have already shown their capabilities by beating and drawing against Nigeria.

“It’s a very tight group; there are still six games to go and 18 points to play for,” Nees was quoted on herald.co.zw.

He continued, “The group is not decided yet for any team; that’s it, the team in first place can easily go down. We have got to rise up. The group is not decided yet, and that’s for sure. And even if the group was decided, every team has the responsibility to compete until the final game with the best and maximum effort because you need to ensure fair competition.

“And now is the main project. It’s the World Cup qualification, but the second project is like preparation already on for the AFCON. We have to restart that World Cup qualification in a positive way. We want to do that, to get the positive mood going, and to do everything in our power to turn the table a little bit around, turn the page, and move up.

“And that’s our approach, and now we have to look at what is the next task at hand. The next task at hand is a difficult game against Benin. Benin beat Nigeria. Benin played a draw against Nigeria. Benin qualified for the AFCON.

“Also, they have a very experienced coach, Gernot Rohr, who I have known for 30 years, and he comes from my country. We are close friends, you could say. But friendship will not play a role in this 90-plus minutes,” added Nees.

Nees is set to name his squad for the two qualifiers on Wednesday as the Warriors prepare to face the challenges ahead.