Former Warriors midfield enforcer Tinashe Nengomasha says Zimbabwe senior men’s football team could have done better at the 2017 AFCON finals following their early exit at the tournament.

After a promising show in a 2-2 draw against pre-tournament favourites Algeria, the Warriors succumbed 2-0 to Africa’s top-ranked side Senegal, before collapsing in their final group game, losing 4-2 to Tunisia leaving Gabon with just a point, and bottom of Group C.

Despite scoring four goals in their three matches, the Warriors conceded the most, letting in eight goals in their two losses and one draw which earned them the tag of being the worst team defensively of all 16 sides present in Gabon – which prompted Nengomasha, who played at the 2004 and 2006 finals, to raise concern over the future of the team at the biennial tournament.

“In qualifying for this AFCON, when you get such an opportunity to showcase what your country can do in terms of playing football, you have to take it, because you don’t know when you might get that opportunity again,” said Nengomasha speaking to Kickoff.                     

Zimbabwe have been drawn in a tricky Group G alongside DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and Liberia in the race to qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Cameroon.

Though admitting Zimbabwe were in a difficult group which had Senegal, Tunisia and Algeria, Nengomasha expected better from the Warriors who had in their ranks 2016 African player of the year (based in Africa) runner up Khama Billiat and Belgium based Knowledge Musona.

“I expected a lot from that team, because if you look at it, there are quality players, and I don’t think they achieved what they could have.

“Tactically, we were inferior. Defensively we were terrible, we didn’t play as a unit – I didn’t see anything compared to other teams I have been watching.”