Shadreck Mlauzi has been appointed as the new coach of the Mighty Warriors, with Yohanne Chikaola, Sithethelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda, and Choice Dambuza serving as assistant coaches. Ndega Matsika is the goalkeeper’s coach, Portia Chiota is the team manager, and Dorothy Mugari is the Safeguarding officer. Chiwoniso Mashakada is the media officer.
Mlauzi previously led the Zimbabwe senior women’s team to the Olympic Games in 2016 and the Africa Cup of Nations Games finals in Cameroon. He will now select players for the COSAFA Women’s Championship, which will take place from October 4 to 15 in South Africa.
The Mighty Warriors, who missed the 2022 edition due to suspension, are placed in a group with Namibia, Botswana, and Lesotho. The top team from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, along with the best runner-up from all three groups. Normalisation Committee member Rosemary Mugadza said:
As the Normalisation Committee, we want the Mighty Warriors to be in camp for two weeks. The team is scheduled to arrive in South Africa on the 3rd, so we hope by Monday they will be getting into camp.
South Africa is the most successful team in the tournament’s history, having won seven out of the previous ten championships. Zimbabwe previously won the title in 2011 when they hosted the tournament but have since struggled to recapture that success. They aim to perform well and regain their past glory in this year’s competition.