Nickname(s) | Mighty Warriors | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Zimbabwe Football Association (ZFA) | ||
Confederation | CAF (Africa) | ||
Sub-confederation | COSAFA (Southern Africa) | ||
Head coach | Sithethelelwe Sibanda | ||
Captain | Nobukhosi Ncube | ||
FIFA code | ZIM | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 127 3 (13 December 2024) [1] | ||
Highest | 82 (December 2013) | ||
Lowest | 128 (August 2022) | ||
First international | |||
Zimbabwe 4–0 Lesotho (Harare, Zimbabwe; 30 July 2000) | |||
Biggest win | |||
Zimbabwe 15–0 Lesotho (Harare, Zimbabwe; 19 April 2002) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Nigeria 6–0 Zimbabwe (Johannesburg, South Africa; 21 November 2000) | |||
African Women's Championship | |||
Appearances | 4 (first in 1991 ) | ||
Best result | 4th (2000) | ||
Summer Olympics | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2016 ) | ||
Best result | 12th (2016) |
The Zimbabwe women's national football team represents Zimbabwe in international football. It is controlled by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZFA), the governing body for football in Zimbabwe.
The team represented Zimbabwe at the 2016 Summer Olympics, making it the fourth African country to qualify for the tournament, where they were eliminated in the group stage. [2]
Similar to the men's team, the team is known as the "Mighty Warriors", [3] the Zimbabwe women's national team was established in 1991, making it one of the earliest women's national teams on the African continent. They were scheduled to compete in the inaugural African Women's Championship in 1991 but withdrew before the tournament. Their first official match was a 5–2 victory over South Africa in a friendly at FNB Stadium, serving as a curtain-raiser for the men's match between Bafana and Holland. [4]
The team played its first African Women's Championship qualifiers in 2000 against Lesotho, winning 8–0 on aggregate over two legs to qualify for their first continental competition. In Group A, the team drew with Uganda, defeated Réunion 2–1, and lost to South Africa 3–0, advancing to their first-ever semifinals. After losing the next two knockout matches, the team finished fourth. [5]
In 2002, the country hosted the inaugural regional COSAFA Women's Championship. During their first campaign, they topped Group A, recording their biggest win, a 15–0 victory over Lesotho. Another dominant performance, an 11–1 win against Mozambique, saw Zimbabwe reach their first final. [6]
Sixteen years after their first match, Zimbabwe won their first regional title and trophy at the 2011 COSAFA Women's Championship on home soil, defeating three-time defending champions South Africa 1–0 in the final. [7]
After failing to qualify for the Olympics on two occasions, the Mighty Warriors secured their ticket to the 2016 Summer Olympics through the 2015 CAF Women's Olympic qualifying tournament. They defeated rivals Zambia, received a walkover against Ivory Coast, and then triumphed over Cameroon with a 2–2 aggregate score, advancing on away goals. It became the first team, either men's or women's from the country to qualify for the Olympics. [8] In their first tournament, they were defeated in all their matches against Australia, Canada, and Germany, but they were able to score in each of the three games. [9]
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
24 October 2024 2024 COSAFA WC GS | Mozambique | 1–0 | Zimbabwe | Ibhayi, South Africa |
17:00 UTC+2 | Aurora 18' | Report | Stadium: Isaac Wolfson Stadium Referee: Vistoria Nuusiku Shangula (Namibia) |
27 October 2024 2024 COSAFA WC GS | Zimbabwe | 3–0 | Lesotho | Gqeberha, South Africa |
15:00 UTC+2 |
| Report | Stadium: Madibaz Stadium Referee: Vistoria Nuusiku Shangula (Namibia) |
17–26 February 2025 2026 WAFCON qualifying | Angola | v | Zimbabwe | Angola |
--:-- UTC+1 |
17–26 February 2025 2026 WAFCON qualifying | Zimbabwe | v | Angola | TBD |
--:-- UTC+2 |
The following is the squad called up for the 2024 COSAFA Women's Championship named on 19 October 2024. [10]
FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Host nation(s) and year | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1991 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
1995 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
1999 | |||||||||||||||||
2003 | Did not qualify | The 2002 African Women's Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
2007 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
2011 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
2015 | Did not qualify | The 2014 African Women's Championship served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
2019 | Did not qualify | The 2018 Women's Africa Cup of Nations served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
2023 | Did not qualify | The 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
2027 | To be determined | The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations will serve as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
Total | – | 0/10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Total | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Summer Olympics record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Host nation(s) and year | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1996 | Did not enter | The 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup served as the qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
2000 | The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup served as the qualifying tournament | ||||||||||||||||
2004 | Did not qualify | Second round | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
2008 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 | |||||||||||
2012 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
2016 | Group stage | 12th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | squad | Fourth round | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | |
2020 | Withdrew | Second round | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||
2024 | Suspended | Suspended | |||||||||||||||
2028 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
Total | – | 1/8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | – | Total | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 16 |
Women's Africa Cup of Nations record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Host nation(s) and year | Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
1991 | Withdrew | No qualifying tournament | |||||||||||||||
1995 | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
1998 | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
2000 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 17 | squad | Main round | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
2002 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | squad | Main round | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
2004 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | squad | Main round | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
2006 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
2008 | Did not qualify | Second round | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | |||||||||
2010 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
2012 | Did not qualify | First round | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||
2014 | Second round | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
2016 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | squad | Main round | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | |
2018 | Did not qualify | Second round | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||
2022 | Second round | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | ||||||||||
2024 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
2026 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
Total | – | 4/16 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 28 | – | Total | 30 | 21 | 1 | 8 | 56 | 29 |
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