Zimbabwe qualified for AFCON because ‘we were not complacent’ - Michael Nees

Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees - Photo Courtesy ZFA Media.

Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees has given his post-mortem of their journey towards the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, citing quick adaptation and the right approach to the opposition as having helped in the qualifying campaign.

Nees told the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Facebook page that it was challenging working in a new country.  He added that the Warriors players had to adapt to his coaching philosophy quickly while competing in Group J of the AFCON qualifiers.

“I think we can be satisfied with the campaign. We qualified with one game to spare and when you look at how we started, actually, I arrived very late and I had to open myself up to work with all the staff I had never worked with before. At the same time, they had to open themselves up to work with me because they had never worked with me before,” he said.

Nees also credited the Warriors players for adapting quickly to his coaching ways and respecting the group’s opponents such as Kenya, Namibia and Cameroon. “Honestly, the group was very competitive. I think if we had been a little bit complacent, we could have failed,” he added.

The German then praised his wards for wanting to play with freedom and compete even against giants such as Cameroon. The coach has since welcomed the one-year break before the actual AFCON finals are played saying it would give him and the players time to understand each other more and develop.

“Team development takes time. It is a process with ups and downs. The qualification itself gives us a little bit of time which we need in team development. This will help us in a lot of areas for improvement. We are not yet at the end. I am confident that when the tournament comes next year, we will be in shape. This time must be used very well. We need to sit down and plan for the full year,” Nees said.

Zimbabwe booked their return flight to AFCON after their one-all draw with Kenya took the Warriors tally to an unassailable nine points. The men for Nees wound up with a 2-1 loss to hosts and leaders Cameroon with both teams having already sealed their places at the Morocco finals.

The Warriors hosted their matches in neighbouring South Africa due to a lack of certified match venues for the Afcon qualifiers.