OPINION: Is this the ‘golden generation’ of Zimbabwean football?

Anyone who has been following Zimbabwean football for the last two decades will know that Reinhard Fabisch’s “Dream Team” of the early 90s made a lot of people fall in love with the beautiful game.

The star-studded team ‘united’ Zimbabweans through mesmerizing football but for all their glamour and rich history, that team never achieved anything.

In fact, some people have even joked that they were referred to as the ‘Dream Team’ because they were always dreaming and never achieved anything practical, not even AFCON qualification.

The current generation however, has made qualification for Africa’s greatest soccer showpiece somewhat routine, with Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat, Kuda Mahachi and Nyasha Mushekwi joining the illustrious group of Zimbabwean players to have taken part in two consecutive AFCON finals, after taking part in Egypt last year and having gone to Gabon in 2017 as well.

While that group contains many players, the current generation of Warriors has the potential to be the greatest, that is if they aren’t already.

This generation broke the 8-year wait for a local player to step on English soil and take part in a Premier League game, when Marvelous Nakamba was named in Aston Villa’s starting eleven against West Ham at Villa Park last year.

It was also this generation, which paved way for the country’s most expensive player ever, when Tinotenda Kadewere charmed French Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon into paying a whopping €15 million for his services.

It is also this generation which has ushered in arguably the best player in the South African top flight, the ABSA Premiership, in Kaizer Chiefs’ Khama Billiat.

This current crop of Warriors players, due to their exploits in some of Europe’s top leagues, have made Zimbabweans daring to dream for the country’s maiden appearance at the World Cup.

Is this the golden generation of Zimbabwean football?

 

 

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