eBusiness Weekly
Africa Moyo
The lifeless performance by the Warriors in Monrovia, Liberia, last weekend, has plunged the national football team’s fans into unrestrained fear of the worst.
Social media, including on the ZIFA website, are awash with messages from fans expressing disquiet over the team’s performance at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.
With the last match of the 2019 Afcon scheduled for the weekend of March 22 to 23 next year, it is nail-biting moments for the Warriors’ fans as they contemplate missing out on a ticket at the last minute.
For a team that has mustered the art of blowing away matches that are easily winnable, there are fears that the last home game slated for the National Sports Stadium against Congo Brazzaville, could leave sore hearts among fans.
In the Liberia match, optimism was sky-high that the Warriors would conclude back-to-back victories against the Lone Stars in their backyard after a 3-0 mauling in the reverse fixture.
However, a combination of poor finishing — chiefly by Tinotenda Kadewere and vice-captain Ovidy Karuru — and extremely high temperatures, saw the Warriors managing two lame efforts on target in 90 minutes.
Liberia also had two shots at goal, one of which was bundled in William Jebor to seal a fortunes — changing encounter for a team that languished at the bottom of the log going into that match on four points.
The Warriors needed a draw to book a berth at the Cameroon 2019 Afcon extravaganza, while a win would have been a bonus.
But somehow, the strikers forgot their scoring boots in the aircraft and allowed a team that was “as good as dead”, to claw back to life and more importantly, finish the round of matches on second spot ahead of DRC.
Now, almost any team in the group has a mathematical chance of qualifying for the soccer showpiece, and given the Warriors’ poor show at the National Sports Stadium against DRC when the teams drew 1-all, soccer fans are justified to be terrified by the possibility of missing out on qualification.
Following the defeat to Liberia, the Warriors remain stuck on eight points, of course on top of the group.
But with Liberia sitting on seven points, DRC on six and Congo on five, the last round of matches would mouth-watering.
DRC tackle Liberia in Kinshasa and a win for them would take their points tally to nine while Liberia can go up to 10 points in the event of an unlikely win.
Similarly, if the Red Devils, as the Congo national team is affectionately known, hunt down the Warriors in their backyard, they will equal the latter’s points tally of eight.
With a goal difference of +3, it would take a 5-0 victory for the Red Devils to win pull through to the Afcon finals.
Article 14.1, which speaks to the qualification of teams indicate that in case of equality between two teams at the end of the group matches, the teams will be ranked according to the following criteria . . . (1) the greatest number of points obtained in the matches between the two teams concerned; (2) the best goal difference in the matches between the two teams concerned; (3) the greatest number of away goals scored in the direct encounters between the two teams concerned; (3) the greatest number of away goals scored in the direct encounters between the two teams and concerned (4) the goal difference in all the group matches; (5) the greatest number of goals scored in all group matches; and (6) a drawing of lots conducted by the organising committee.
Only Congo, which anchors the four-team log standings with five points, can end on the same number of points as the Warriors.
But should they beat the Warriors, it would have to be by 5-nil to ensure passage to the next stage.
While the Warriors can be abject when they want, they are unlikely to lose by 5-0 at home, giving them and their fans a glimmer of hope to qualify for the 2019 Afcon soccer jamboree.
