Zimbabwe’s Mighty Warriors, their pride severely battered by their poor run at the on-going Women African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, quietly trooped back home from Yaoundé on Tuesday afternoon with an expectant country that had pinned their hopes on them barely noticing.

Coach Shadreck Mlauzi watched in agony from the touch line as his charges finished bottom of Group A with neither a goal nor a win.

Instead, the team that was the pride of Africa just four months ago when taking part on the bigger Olympic Games stage were a pale showdown of the side that fought bravely against the likes of Germany at the Rio showcase in Brazil.

The Mighty Warriors had only a point from their goalless draw against regional rivals South Africa to show for their presence at the 10th edition of the Women’s nations Cup.

Shortly after 2pm on Tuesday it was time for the team to touch down but this time there were no plaudits from the fans who had gathered to wait for them as they returned from Brazil and they appeared like ordinary passengers from a shopping excursion as they made their way out of the arrivals lounge at Harare International Airport.

After being somewhat fettered like queens when they qualified for the tournaments in Brail and Cameroon, the Mighty Warriors came face to face with the reality that “Success has many parents while failure is an orphan’’ with only ZIFA and the Women’s League officials on standby to welcome them.

There had been high hopes that despite the challenges they faced with their training camp prior to the tournament, the Mighty Warriors would use some of the lesson drawn from their Olympic Participation to make an impact in Cameroon.

Instead they hogged the limelight only at the end of their game against Egypt where they felt hard done by Burundi referee Suavis Iritunga.