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NewsDay

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Somalia ghost haunts Warriors

Sport
The Warriors suffered the consequences of their defeat to Somalia in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying preliminary round match against Somalia earlier this month as they tumbled six places down the latest global rankings.

By Sports Reporter

The Warriors suffered the consequences of their defeat to Somalia in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying preliminary round match against Somalia earlier this month as they tumbled six places down the latest global rankings.

Zimbabwe slid from 112 in the world to 118, while Somalia gained three rungs on the ladder moving from 202 to 199 following their 1-0 win over the Warriors in the first leg, which was played in Djibouti.

Despite going on to win the second leg 3-1 to qualify to the group stage of the qualifiers, the damage had already be done as the Warriors lost ground on their bid to break into the top 100.

The rankings are important as they determine how draws are conducted for major tournaments such as the World Cup.

The lowly ranking is the reason why Zimbabwe had to go through the preliminary round, which proved a dangerous course to take.

At the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) draw, Zimbabwe were also placed in pot three, which saw them placed in a tough group that involved seasoned campaigners Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the end, it was only Zimbabwe who failed to qualify to the next stage in that group.

Zimbabwe also struggle for progress on the rankings as they rarely feature in high-profile friendly matches that earn other nations good points to improve their rankings.

Teams earn more points when they play and win or draw against those that have stronger rankings.

Having plummeted out of the top 100 due to the Asiagate scandal, where players and officials threw away matches for money, Zimbabwe has struggled to regain ground even though they have since featured in two Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Zimbabwe will soon begin the 2021 Afcon qualifiers, where they will play Botswana and Zambia.

They are also in the same pool as African champions Algeria.