2028 Olympics (Q): Zimbabwe women’s coach eyes “familiar assignment” in concluded draws

With the draws for the second round of the African qualifiers for the 2028 Olympics Women’s Football Tournament concluded, the head coach of Zimbabwe’s Mighty Warriors, Sithethelelwe Sibanda, has called her side’s draw a “competitive but familiar assignment.”

​Zimbabwe was drawn against Malawi in the second round, with the two-legged tie scheduled for October 5–13, 2026.

The fixtures are locked in! Here’s how the race to LA 2028 begins. 💫 pic.twitter.com/P6wCdpEiLW

— CAF Women’s Football (@CAFwomen) April 29, 2026

Sibanda, while speaking with the team’s media, pointed to the team’s recent results against their opponent as a source of encouragement.

“Malawi is a team we know very well, and they will be just as determined as we are. We played them in the Three Nations Tournament in Malawi last November and managed to win, which gives us confidence. But this is a qualifier – it will demand even more from us.”

She also emphasized the importance of the tournament to the nation’s football, stating that knockout football requires discipline and consistency across both legs.

“That tournament was an important step for us. We showed improvement in our structure, our game management, and our mentality. Now the challenge is to build on that and be even better in the qualifiers.

These matches are decided by small details. We have to stay organised, take our chances, and remain focused over the full 180 minutes. Playing away from home will test us, but we must embrace that challenge.”

Other second-round qualifiers

​The second-round qualifiers, taking place from October 5 to 13, will see Tunisia facing off against Senegal, while Benin takes on Mali. Congo is set to challenge Morocco, and the winner of the preliminary between Sudan and Comoros will advance to face Nigeria.

​Further fixtures include Guinea against Cameroon, DR Congo versus Côte d’Ivoire, and Central Africa paired with Algeria. Additionally, Burkina Faso will compete against Equatorial Guinea.

​The remaining bracket features Rwanda against Ethiopia and Botswana taking on Tanzania. Angola will face Namibia, while the winner of the South Sudan and Madagascar tie progresses to play South Africa.

Seychelles is scheduled to play Kenya, Uganda will take on Zambia, and the final spot features the winner of the Mauritius and Djibouti match facing Ghana, as they all vie for a place in the next stage of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifiers.