Unity Cup: Zimbabwe Coach Kaitano Tembo Opens Up on Why Warriors Lost to Nigeria
- Zimbabwe’s head coach, Kaitano Tembo, has explained why the Warriors lost to the Super Eagles
- Femi Azeez struck twice on either half to give Nigeria a 2-0 Unity Cup semi-final win over Zimbabwe
- Tembo’s team will face the loser of the second match between India and Jamaica for the third-place playoff
Zimbabwe national team head coach Kaitano Tembo has opened up on why the Warriors lost to the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the Unity Cup.
The match took place at The Valley, the home of Charlton Athletic in London, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 7:30 pm Nigerian time.
Source: Getty Images
Millwall star Femi Azeez opened the scoring in the fifth minute and added a second in the 63rd minute to help the Super Eagles beat Zimbabwe.
As noted by ZIFA, Nigeria progressed to the final, while Zimbabwe will play the third-place playoff against the winner and loser of India vs Jamaica, respectively.
Tembo reacts to Zimbabwe’s loss
Zimbabwe boss Kaitano Tembo has opened up on why his Warriors fell to a defeat against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the Unity Cup.
Tembo admitted that failure to take their chances ultimately cost his team against an opponent who took most of their chances in front of goal.
“We had our moments, and they had theirs. The difference is that they took advantage of their moments, and we failed to do so,” he said at the post-match conference.
“I thought they kept the ball a little better and longer than we did. We could have done better in those crucial stretches, especially on the transition where we needed to make better decisions and take proper care of the ball. That was the deciding factor.
Tembo hammered on their inability to take chances as the difference between the two sides and warned that his team must produce results in the final third to win matches.
“Our opponents capitalised on the chances they created to score, whereas we failed to take advantage of our own high-quality opportunities,” he added.
“Moving forward, we need to ensure we are much more lethal in the final third, so we will go back to the training ground and work on that.”
Source: Getty Images
The fluidity of Nigeria’s performance yesterday made Nigerians question if it was the same Zimbabwe their team failed to beat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Both matches ended 1-1 in Rwanda, with the most painful one in Uyo in Eric Chelle’s second match. Tawanda Chirewa’s late equaliser stunned Nigeria.
These matches and the friendlies against Portugal and Poland will serve as preparatory games towards the AFCON 2027 qualifier starting in September.
Eric Chelle slams Femi Azeez
Legit.ng previously reported that Eric Chelle slammed Femi Azeez despite the Millwall attacking scoring Nigeria's goals in the win over Zimbabwe.
Chelle congratulated the English-born attacker, but was unhappy with him for not following some of his tactical instructions and losing too many balls.
Source: Legit.ng
