shloboe boe
Innocent Kurira and Brandon Moyo
AS the New Year dawns, Zimbabwean sports fans have plenty to look forward to in 2025. From football to rugby, cricket to golf, and athletics. The country’s top athletes will be in action, competing in various international and local events. The year 2025 promises to be an exciting one for Zimbabwean sports, with a packed calendar of events that will keep fans on the edge of their seats. The country’s top athletes will be looking to make their mark on the global stage and with a bit of luck, Zimbabwe could be in for a memorable year.
As the sports fraternity looks forward to the year ahead, there is a sense of optimism and anticipation.
With a number of high-profile events lined up, Zimbabwe’s top athletes will have plenty of opportunities to showcase their skills and bring home glory. From the Afcon qualifiers to the Rugby World Cup qualifiers, and from the cricket Test match against England to the World Athletics Relays, there is something for every sports fan to look forward to.
Football
The Warriors are set to make their fifth appearance at the Afcon qualifiers, which will begin on December 21, 2025 and run until 2026. The draw for the Afcon qualifiers is set for the 27th of this month. Before that, the Warriors will have participated in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. The month of March will signal the start of their international campaign. With two points from four games, Zimbabwe are five short of Rwanda who at the top. The worry for the nation is that South Africa and Benin also sit on seven points.
This simply means that even if Rwanda suddenly start to drop points, another two sides are waiting to pounce. A clash against Benin is their first outing of 2025 before a match against Nigeria ends their exploits in March. Games against Benin and Rwanda in September and South Africa and Lesotho in October take the side towards Afcon 2025.
With six rounds and 18 points still to collect, Zimbabwe still have the time to climb the table. However, it is worth noting that only the side in first place will automatically secure their place at the 2026 World Cup. Four of the best second-placed finishers will battle it out across semi-finals and a final for a shot at the Inter-Confederation Play-Offs in which nothing can be taken for granted. Things already look grim for Zimbabwe in World Cup qualifying.
The Local Premiership promises to be an exciting one, especially with the arrival of Scottland FC, who have gone on a player shopping spree in a bid to build what will possibly be a championship-winning team. It will be interesting to see if they actually win the title in their maiden season. Simba Bhora won the title in only their second season last term. Anything is possible. Bosso have already lost Lynoth Chikuhwa, Marvellous Chigumira and dependable defender Peter Muduhwa to Scottland, with the newcomers also taking on board the pair of goalkeeper Nelson Chadya and Gareth Madhake, who were the mainstay at
Ngezi. CAPS United have lost their star player from last season, Kingsley Mureremba, also to Scottland.
Mthokozisi Msebe and goalkeepers Taimon Mvula and Talbert Shumba, have all signed for Scottland.
Musona, who spent just a season at Simba Bhora having joined from FC Platinum early last year, penned an emotional farewell to the Shamva team.
Rugby
The ended season (2024) was a motivation booster for the Sables, who are looking at qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The final qualification tournament for the global showpiece is set for later this year in Uganda, where only one ticket will be up for grabs. High in spirit, the Sables will be looking at making their first World Cup appearance since 1991.
In March, the Sables will travel to South Africa for a three-game tournament that promises to be a challenging test of their skills. Ahead of their departure to Uganda for the Africa Cup, they also have a couple of international games on their schedule.
Cricket
After a two-decade hiatus, the Zimbabwe senior men’s national cricket team will make the long-awaited trip to England for a one-off four-day Test match. The two teams, Zimbabwe and England, will face off in a four-day Test match scheduled for May 22 to 25, marking the Chevrons’ first visit to England since 2003. The match will be played at Trent Bridge. The two nations last played bilateral cricket.
Golf
Zimbabwe golf once again will welcome the Lowveld Pro-Am, which is the second biggest event in the country. It made a return after a decade-long hiatus last year, and this year’s tournament is scheduled for Triangle and Chiredzi Golf Clubs from June 19 to 22. Along with a number of local events, there are international tournaments lined up such as the African Amateur Championship in South Africa in February.
Athletics
In athletics, Zimbabwe is set to have representation at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China in May. Following this event, the Southern Region Senior Championships will take place in Harare, followed by the Under-18/20 African Championships in Madagascar, both scheduled for June.
The big one for the year is the World Championships set to take place in Tokyo, Japan in September.
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
