Italy-based Zimbabwean star Jordan Zemura has exonerated head coach Michael Nees after they ended the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers without a win.
The Warriors are the only winless team in Group C. After frustrating Bafana Bafana on Friday, The Warriors went onto loss 1-0 to Lesotho in their last Group C match of the qualifiers. The match was played at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Monday.
This defeat has intensified calls for the Zimbabwe Football Association [ZIFA] to sack the German mentor, Nees, crucially as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations nears.
Nees took over halfway through the World Cup qualifiers, from Jairos Tapera. Tapera had also taken over from former Jose Mourinho’s assistant, Baltermar Brito.
Brito registered two draws against Rwanda and Nigeria in the first two qualifiers. Tapera was at the helm when The Warriors lost in the first legs against Lesotho and Bafana Bafana respectively.
And Nees, was in-charge for the remaining six matches, where he recorded three draws and three defeats.
WHAT JORDAN ZEMURA SAID
However, one of The Warriors star players, Zemura who plays for Udinese Calcio in Italy, has defended Nees saying the players must take the blame for failing to win in the qualifiers.
“As a player, it’s nothing about the coach in these situations, it’s nothing to do with the coach. You saw the game, the fans watched the game,” he said.
“If you have 15 chances in front of goal and you don’t score, you’re not going to point at the coach for why we didn’t score. He’s made the substitutions. As players, we have to take responsibility.
“Personally, I think we have to take responsibility, we have to drive the level higher. I’m coming all the way from Seria A, I have to push my players to push as hard as they can.
“We’ve got players coming from the Premier League, we have to push, that’s it. It’s nothing to do with the coach in that situation.
“If the fans want to point at anyone, they should point at the players, it’s as simple as that. It’s nothing to do with the coach or the coaching staff.
“Today or another day, we can score two or three goals and then you’ll be asking different questions. There’s nothing to do with the coach for that one. I think the players have to take responsibility and that’s it.”
Zimbabwe will be hoping to make amends in the 2025 AFCON where they are in Group B along with Angola, Bafana Bafana and Egypt.
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