Nickname(s) | The Warriors |
---|---|
Association | Zimbabwe Football Association |
Confederation | CAF (Africa) |
Sub-confederation |
COSAFA (Southern Africa) |
Head coach | Callisto Pasuwa |
Captain | Willard Katsande |
Most caps | [[]] (117) |
Top scorer | [[]] (200) |
Home stadium | National Sports Stadium |
FIFA code | ZIM |
FIFA ranking | |
Current | 105 2 (9 February 2017) |
Highest | 40 (April 1995) |
Lowest | 131 (October 2009, February–March 2016) |
Elo ranking | |
Current | 104 (24 February 2017) |
Highest | 56 (April 1995) |
Lowest | 128 (March 2011) |
First international | |
Southern Rhodesia 0–4 England XI (Salisbury, Rhodesia; 26 June 1929) |
|
Biggest win | |
Botswana 0–7 Zimbabwe (Gaborone, Botswana; 26 August 1990) |
|
Biggest defeat | |
South Africa 7–0 Rhodesia (South Africa; 9 April 1977) |
|
Africa Cup of Nations | |
Appearances | 3 (first in 2004) |
Best result | Group stage, 2004, 2006, 2017 |
The Zimbabwe national football team is the national team of Zimbabwe and is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), formally known as the Football Association of Rhodesia. The team were known as the Southern Rhodesia national football team from 1939–1964 when they represented Southern Rhodesia, then the Rhodesia national football team until 1980 representing Rhodesia. They became Zimbabwe in 1980 following the change in the country's status from Zimbabwe Rhodesia. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals, and did not qualify for their first Africa Cup of Nations until 2004.
Southern Rhodesia played their first official match against the England Amateur national football team as part of their tour of South Africa and Rhodesia. Southern Rhodesia lost their first two matches against England 4–0 and 6–1 respectively. In 1965, following Southern Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence as Rhodesia, FIFA requested that the Football Association of Rhodesia reform to be a multi-racial organisation. Prior to this only white Rhodesians were selected for the national football team but after 1965 the team became multi-racial. In 1969, Rhodesia took part in the Confederation of African Football 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament. This was their first attempt to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Contrary to the team being viewed as the representative team of white Rhodesians, the team was multi-racial including black players. They were drawn against the Australia national football team. Both legs were held in Lourenco Marques, Portuguese Mozambique as the Rhodesian team were unable to get Australian visas. Rhodesia drew the first leg 1–1 but lost the second leg 3–1 thus eliminating Rhodesia from qualification.