#ZimFootballFansFumeOverSADefeat
Zimbabwean football fans are baying for the blood of senior national football team players, targeting Marvelous Nakamba,
Divine Lunga, and Washington Arubi following their country's 3-2 defeat to South Africa in an Afcon Group B decisive match on Monday night.
Zimbabwe crashed out of the tournament - as usual - rooted at the bottom of the table behind leaders Egypt, South Africa and Angola in that order.
So players are facing a backlash for errors that directly contributed to South Africa's goals and the team's early elimination.
Zimbabwe also played poorly at the recent 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, and eventually fired coach Michael Nees.
Mario replaced Nees.
The three targeted senior players were involved in some decisive moments that cost their team.
Nakamba, the Luton Town midfielder, was penalised for a handball in the penalty area in the 80th minute, which led to South Africa's decisive third goal from the spot, scored by man-of-the-match Oswin Appollis.
Lunga was also targeted by fans.
The solid Mamelodi Sundowns defender was blamed for some of South Africa's goals.
He apparently made a misjudged back-header that allowed Bafana Bafana striker Lyle Foster to score the second goal.
He is also being accused by some of celebrating with the opposing players.
Lunga plays for Sundowns and knows South African players, some personally.
Arubi, who plays as a goalkeeper for South African Premier Soccer League side Marumo Gallants,
was beaten on three occasions, though Lunga's errors and Nakamba's penalty made it difficult for him to make saves.
Arubi (40) was accused of being indecisive on the Burnley striker, Foster's second goal.
He however made several crucial saves throughout the game but could not prevent the loss.
After the Warriors' defeat, fans have taken to social media platforms, including Facebook
and X (Twitter), to voice their frustration and anger.
Many believe that the team lost due to self-inflicted wounds and that some experienced players, including Nakamba, are no longer at their peak performance levels.
Others are blaming player agents and corruption for the defeat.
There are growing accusations that the Zimbabwe national team is captured by football agents and their collaborators in ZIFA and the national team management who pay for their players to play as a marketing strategy, and then get paid for those venal services.
Zimbabwean coach Marian Mario Marinica is said to be not in yet fully in control of the team, which is mainly selected by players agents whose motive is not winning for glory and national pride, but to make money.
This scandal hidden in plain sight is gradually unfolding and The NewsHawks is now investigating it.
Fans fear an Asiagate 2.0 maybe unfolding and responsible for Zimbabwe's poor performance and defeat.
The rot runs deep, and involves ZIFA, team management, player agents and players themselves, sources tell The NewsHawks.
However, some fans have called the language used towards the players "unnecessary and unfair," emphasising that they gave their full commitment to the game.
They argue Zimbabwe played well in the three games, but lacked the experienced to hold on and the cutting-edge to win on the big continental stage.
Some fans say while the players made mistakes due to pressure and anxiety, people must accept that Zimbabwe is not a top African footballing nation in the first place.
While some Zimbabwean football fans claim their team is good and competitive by continental standards, the reality is the team is mediocre and has a long record of terrible performances at Afcon.
Zimbabwe has participated in Afcon six times (2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2025), but has never advanced past group stages.
Across these tournaments, the Warriors have played 18 matches, registering only three wins, three draws, and 12 losses, which is a dismally poor record and clear evidence the team is not just mediocre, but simply tenth rate - very poor.
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