Ramon Catala will take charge of Zimbabwe for the first time when the Warriors open their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Sierra Leone in Morocco this evening, with the new coach calling for an immediate statement of intent from his players.
The Group E fixture marks the start of Catala’s competitive reign after the Spanish coach was appointed last month. Kick-off is scheduled for 6pm, and the match in El Jadida will begin a qualifying race that Zimbabwe hope will lead to a seventh appearance at the continental finals.
Zimbabwe have been drawn alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone in a group that will be decided through home-and-away matches. Each team will play six matches, with the top two sides advancing to the finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, which will be staged from 19 June to 17 July next year.
For the Warriors, the first challenge is to leave Morocco with a result before returning home to face the Democratic Republic of Congo at the National Sports Stadium on Monday. The opening two rounds have come in quick succession, leaving little time for Catala to impose his methods or for the players to build a settled understanding on the pitch.
“It will be a very difficult match. They (Sierra Leone) have a team with good players, similar to ours. We are however going there with the motivation to start the competition well and to put in a very good performance,” said Catala.
The coach has been encouraged by the mood in camp. Zimbabwe began preparations at Raja Casablanca, where the players trained on a pitch Catala described as being in excellent condition. The squad has also had to adjust to players arriving from different clubs and competitions, a familiar challenge during an international window.
“The atmosphere is phenomenal. The players are great professionals and they have a lot of hunger to play in these matches and to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. It’s a good atmosphere and we have good players. The pitch is in very good condition. We want to thank Raja Casablanca for hosting us and for allowing us to train at their facility. The facilities are perfect for us to have our sessions here in Casablanca.”
Catala has used the short build-up to focus on organisation, communication and the understanding needed between the different parts of his team. Zimbabwe will need to turn that work into a disciplined performance against a Sierra Leone side that sits eight places above them in the latest FIFA rankings.
The Warriors coach has several attacking options at his disposal. Tawanda Maswanhise, Tawanda Chirewa, Bill Antonio and Thando Ngwenya have all added energy and invention to the squad, giving Zimbabwe the ability to threaten Sierra Leone in different ways. The task will be to combine that attacking promise with the control needed in an away qualifier.
Catala added: “We want the fans to be proud of their team. We are going to give everything to try and win the first match. Sierra Leone is a good team but we are certainly up for them. We are really excited and looking forward to the game against Sierra Leone.”
The match also brings Andy Rinomhota back into the national team fold. The midfielder withdrew from Zimbabwe’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco last December for personal reasons, but Catala has recalled him for the new qualifying cycle.
Rinomhota said the return had given him fresh enthusiasm as the Warriors began the pursuit of another finals place.
“Yeah, it feels really good to be back. It does feel like a long time I’ve been away, maybe three camps I’ve missed now. I am really happy to be back, looking forward to the games ahead and just looking forward to try and get a good start in these qualification games. The camaraderie is really good between the squad. The relationship between the coaches and the players is very good and I think we’ve changed squads a little bit before.
“I think everyone comes in and gels really quickly, and you can see that with the way we have been training on the pitch, and we hope to take that connection into the game as well. We know we need to go into these games with the right mindset to make sure we start on the front foot and get off to a good position in the group. So we’re not gonna take any games lightly and like I said, everyone’s moving in the right direction to try and give their all and get off to a good start to make our country proud.”
Rinomhota’s return comes as Zimbabwe seek consistency in a campaign that will test the squad across three international windows. After the opening matches, the qualifiers will resume in November before the final two rounds are played in March 2027. Every point will matter in a four-team group in which the Warriors cannot afford a slow beginning.
The home match against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday is already expected to draw a large crowd. International football is returning to the National Sports Stadium, and up to 30,000 supporters will be allowed into the venue following the installation of individual bucket seats. The work has reduced the stadium’s operating capacity from its previous 60,000-seat limit.
The expected crowd has also led to a traffic plan around the stadium. Parts of the Harare-Bulawayo highway will be temporarily closed to motorists travelling towards the city centre from 4pm to 9pm on Monday, covering the evening period around the 6pm kick-off.
A police checkpoint will be placed at the intersection of Bulawayo Road and Harare Drive. The inbound carriageway towards Harare city centre will be restricted to match officials and motorists with valid match tickets. Other vehicles will be diverted along Harare Drive towards Solomon Mujuru Drive.
Traffic leaving the city centre and travelling past the National Sports Stadium will not be affected and will continue to use the route as normal. Motorists have been urged to allow extra time, follow instructions from traffic police and road marshals, and choose alternative routes if they are not attending the match.
Those arrangements underline the scale of the homecoming Zimbabwe are preparing for, but Catala’s immediate attention remains on Sierra Leone. A positive result in El Jadida would give the Warriors an early platform before the spotlight moves to Harare.
Zimbabwe’s next Group E match is against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, while Equatorial Guinea will host Sierra Leone. The Warriors’ route to the 2027 finals begins in Morocco, where Catala and his players will attempt to make their first competitive night together the starting point of a successful campaign.
For the new coach, the demand is clear: begin with purpose, compete for every ball and give supporters a team they can believe in from the opening whistle.