Warriors coach Michael Nees made his stance crystal clear about goalkeeper choices. He plans to stick with Washington Arubi as his main keeper instead of bringing in Elvis Chipezeze, who plays for Magesi FC in South Africa. Despite Chipezeze showing great form lately, Nees remains loyal to Arubi because he helped Zimbabwe qualify for the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
When talking to reporters Tuesday in Harare, Nees firmly backed Arubi. He explained how he brought both Arubi and Khama Billiat back to the national team when he felt something was missing. Both players exceeded what he hoped for and became key parts of the successful AFCON qualification campaign. Nees considers Arubi his definite first choice.
The German coach believes having two top goalkeepers fighting for the same spot can hurt the team. He values loyalty highly and refuses to cast aside players who helped achieve important goals. Nees assured everyone they have backup plans if Arubi becomes unavailable, but he wants to show respect to those who delivered results when it mattered most.
Nees recently picked 23 players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. Zimbabwe faces Benin on March 20, playing their home game in South Africa. Five days later, the Warriors travel to face the Super Eagles of Nigeria on March 25. These matches represent important steps toward possible World Cup qualification.
When talking to reporters Tuesday in Harare, Nees firmly backed Arubi. He explained how he brought both Arubi and Khama Billiat back to the national team when he felt something was missing. Both players exceeded what he hoped for and became key parts of the successful AFCON qualification campaign. Nees considers Arubi his definite first choice.
The German coach believes having two top goalkeepers fighting for the same spot can hurt the team. He values loyalty highly and refuses to cast aside players who helped achieve important goals. Nees assured everyone they have backup plans if Arubi becomes unavailable, but he wants to show respect to those who delivered results when it mattered most.
Nees recently picked 23 players for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. Zimbabwe faces Benin on March 20, playing their home game in South Africa. Five days later, the Warriors travel to face the Super Eagles of Nigeria on March 25. These matches represent important steps toward possible World Cup qualification.
