Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees and captain Marshal Munetsi acknowledge the nation’s six-year drought in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, but they emphasize that dwelling on the past is unproductive due to the passage of time and the team’s internal challenges.

Zimbabwe’s last FIFA World Cup qualifying victory was a 3-1 win over Somalia in October 2019, during the first round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Notably, Munetsi was among the goalscorers in that match in Bulawayo, alongside former Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs star Khama Billiat, with Admiral Muskwe scoring the other goal for the Warriors.

Zimbabwe is in Durban to face Benin in a crucial FIFA World Cup Group C match at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Thursday (18:00), aiming for their first win since that 2019 victory.

Currently, they have lost two and drawn two of their four matches in these World Cup qualifiers.

“In 2019, I was not here,” said Nees, who was appointed in August last year, during a press conference at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday. “Marshal was a much younger player at that time, now he is at a different level, I would say. For me, I came in August, and perhaps at some stage, Zimbabwe did not reach its full potential.

“But since August, we have been on a good run, we have progressed, we have found ourselves as a group. It is not only about quality; it is a good atmosphere in the camp.

“I think we have real good harmony in the team. Yes, not too much harmony, there is also a rivalry between the players because everyone wants to play, but in a fair competitive spirit.

“I found that, and I think that is one of our strengths in this team, and I am fortunate to be in charge of this group. Maybe Marshal will say the same.”

Munetsi, who played for Orlando Pirates in the PSL before joining Wolves from Reims in the January transfer window, admitted that internal strife hindered their progress, and they are now determined to change the narrative.

“We need good results in both games (including against Nigeria in Uyo on Tuesday),” said Munetsi, the team captain.

“Like the coach said, we had issues previously, and issues that were not on the field of play. But in terms of quality, back in 2019, we still had a strong squad.

“But if you check now, we have young players who are playing at the international level, and I think we have a much bigger advantage. We also have a coach who believes in us, giving us a platform to express ourselves.

“You look at the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers (which we qualified for the 2025 in Morocco), we faced Cameroon, Kenya, and other good opponents.

“I think for us, it is a good challenge. If you are in a situation like this, you don’t really look at difficult teams but look at ways of how you can win.

“It is not always about how you start, but how you finish. So, we are looking at this as a good opportunity, and if we end up going down in history as the first group to qualify for the World Cup campaign, then why not?

“This is something that we would want to achieve—great things for our country—and make sure that at the end of the day, we enjoy the game of football.”

Only the group winners will qualify automatically for the FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the USA in 2026, while the four best-placed runners-up will have a second chance via the play-offs.