By Milton Marima
In Harare, every football fan remembers June 30, 2019. Cairo. Hot night. Africa Cup of Nations. Zimbabwe walked in believing, and left broken. DRC 4, Zimbabwe 0. Bolingi opened the door, Bakambu kicked it down twice, Assombalonga closed it. For years, that score has been on the wall.But that is not the whole story.
Rewind a little. The story of Zimbabwe and DRC is not a story of a big brother and a small brother. It’s a story of two countries who always draw blood.
In 2000, in Harare, the Warriors won 3-2 in a thriller. A year later in Kinshasa, the Leopards paid back 2-1.
Then came October 2018. The month Zimbabwe will never forget. First, They went to Kinshasa, into their den with 80,000 screaming Congolese, and the Warriors stole it DRC 1-2 Zimbabwe. Three days later, The Leopards came to Harare demanding revenge, and they were held to a 1 all draw. Those two nights are the reason Zimbabwe qualified for AFCON 2019.
Then came the Cairo nightmare. The debt.
And now, tonight, God has written the next chapter in the exact same place where Zimbabwe and DRC drew 1-1. National Sports Stadium, Harare.
This is not a friendly. This is AFCON 2027 Qualifiers, Group E, Matchday 2. And it is a final before the final
Both teams won their first game. Zimbabwe did it like a movie. Down 2-0 to Sierra Leone at halftime in Morocco, dead and buried. Then the Warriors woke up. Marshall Munetsi scored twice, Tawanda Chirewa scored the winner, a 3-2 Comeback of the round.
DRC did it like a superpower. At home against Equatorial Guinea, no drama. Captain Chancel Mbemba headed in after 4 minutes from a Masuaku corner. Yoane Wissa, the Newcastle man, added the second in the 72nd minute. 2-0. Clean. Professional.
So tonight, it’s first vs first. Winner takes the group.
Harare is already buzzing. The City Council will close Bulawayo Road from 4pm to 9pm. Police checkpoint at Harare Drive. Only ticket holders can pass. They are expecting 30,000 inside. 30,000 hearts.
Inside, Ramón Catalá will throw everything Nakamba, Rinomhota, Munetsi, Maswanhise. They know they must score early.
On the other side, the Leopards have come with their Europe stars Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Wissa, Mbemba.
If you ask history, history says GOALS. Zimbabwe has scored in 9 of its last 10 games, but conceded in 7. DRC has scored in 7 of its last 9, but conceded in 5 of its last 6. Both defences shake when attacked.
If Zimbabwe scores first, the Stadium will lift the roof and carry the Warriors to avenge 2019.
If DRC scores first, they will try to make it Cairo again – keep the ball, kill the noise.
One thing is sure After 90 minutes tonight, either Zimbabwe will say “the debt is paid” or DRC will say “we own you.”
