The Zimbabwe national football team, the Warriors, will wrap up their international friendlies schedule this month with a high-profile encounter against Qatar, as part of their final preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) set for December in Morocco.
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) confirmed that the Warriors will face the 52nd world-ranked Asian side on November 17 at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 pm CAT.
The match comes just days after Zimbabwe’s other preparatory fixture against Algeria, Africa’s top-ranked team, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The two international friendlies form part of an intense build-up programme designed to test the team’s tactical readiness, fitness, and adaptability ahead of the continental tournament.
Facing Qatar, who sit 77 places above Zimbabwe in the latest FIFA World Rankings, will be a stern test for the Warriors. The 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts boast a technically gifted and well-organised side, providing the perfect challenge for the Zimbabwean squad to gauge their progress and cohesion under pressure.
The friendly window is viewed as crucial by the technical team, who aim to use these matches to assess squad depth, evaluate new combinations, and fine-tune strategies before the AFCON campaign begins.
“We wanted to give the boys exposure to different playing styles and competitive environments. Matches against world-class opposition like Algeria and Qatar offer invaluable experience and mental conditioning ahead of AFCON,” said a source within the Warriors’ camp.
The Warriors are expected to assemble a full-strength squad, with both locally-based and international players joining the camp in Saudi Arabia before travelling to Doha for the final fixture.
For Zimbabwe, the back-to-back clashes against two strong teams represent not only a test of character but also an opportunity to build momentum and confidence going into the AFCON group stages.
