Artificial Turf Made It Difficult For Warriors, Says Munetsi
Warriors midfielder Marshall Munetsi has bemoaned the state of the pitch at Huye Stadium in Butare, Rwanda, following Zimbabwe’s 0-0 draw against the hosts this Wednesday.
The Warriors were held to a goalless draw by Rwanda in their first competitive match since FIFA lifted Zimbabwe’s suspension from international football in July.
The opening match of Group C of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers was played on artificial turf which Munetsi believes gave the Rwandan players an advantage since they are used to playing on such a surface.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Munetsi also lamented the chances the Warriors created but failed to convert.
In fact, Munetsi put the ball into the back of the net in the 70th minute but his strike didn’t stand as he came from an offside position. He said:
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Playing on an artificial turf was much more difficult for us and also with the Rwanda team having an upper hand in knowing how to play in this situation.
We created a lot of chances which we used have capitalised, but it’s part of the game.
We haven’t trained much together and after having a long suspension outside of football, I think this is a good starting point for use.
Even if it’s a point from home, we take it and look forward to the next game coming on Sunday.
The Warriors will have to acclimatise to the artificial turf quickly as they host the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the same venue in their next World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
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