World Cup (Q): Zimbabwe coach Nees hits back at critics

Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees has hit back at his critics after posting two wins in 13 games since taking charge of the Warriors.

Zimbabwe lost 0-1 to Rwanda at Orlando Stadium in South Africa on Tuesday in a Group C match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. That made it back-to-back defeats for the Warriors who were also beaten 1-0 by Benin on Friday. Such struggles have seen pressure mounting on the well-travelled coach.

However, before Tuesday’s game, Nees defended himself during a pre-match press conference, saying he has tried his best to steer Zimbabwe to the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.

The German added that he is simply using the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as ‘a double project’ to reburn the team ahead of the AFCON finals.

“We are being criticized for a 1-1 draw with Nigeria. Yes, we lost 1-0 in Benin. It was a tight loss,” Nees explained during a pre-match press conference for the game against Rwanda.

“It was not a nice result but it was not a smash. Maybe, we didn’t deserve more. It was a tight game. For us the objective was to qualify for the AFCON finals and the rest is the building process. We want to see it as a double project—the World Cup qualification and at the same time, building for AFCON.

“We qualified for the AFCON [finals] with one game to spare. I think you did achieve that only one time, and in most cases, you had two or three coaches in the qualification campaign involved.”

Responding to a question from a reporter that some Zimbabwean are not impressed with his record of just two wins, Nees called for context and comparisons with the previous World Cup and AFCON qualification campaigns.

“In the last World Cup campaign, in the group stage you had a zero win in 2018. If I am not mistaken, the coach was not paid,” Nees said.

“In 2014, if I am not mistaken, there was no win. I think in 2008 you had one win against Namibia. The last time you had a positive record in the qualification was for the 2006 World Cup. That is a reality, so you need to take the reality into consideration.”

The coach further boasted that he is the only coach who has earned a Zimbabwean football team qualification to a final of a major competition.

“The national team is the only one which qualified for a tournament. No club team, no youth team and no women’s team since you were readmitted [ into international football after a two-year FIFA ban],” Nees added.

“I don’t understand this negativity. It is high time you, including the media, apply some sense of reality of where we are coming from and pull in the same direction together towards AFCON…”

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