Yadah Football Club owner and Prophetic Healing and Deliveance Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya, believes the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign is the best ever opportunity the Warriors have had, to book a place at the global spectacle.
FIFA lifted the suspension imposed on Zimbabwe for ‘third party interference’ on Monday, three days before the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for Africa was held in Côte d’Ivoire.
Qualification for the global extravaganza has eluded Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.
Prophet Magaya —who used to inject thousands of dollars into the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) coffers in support of national teams —both men and women —believes the Warriors can book a place at the World Cup.
Speaking at the Yadah FC unveiling of three Brazilian players at Yadah Hotel yesterday, Prophet Magaya said the group Zimbabwe been placed in —Group C —which includes Nigeria, South Africa, Benin, Rwanda and Lesotho —is an advantageous one for the Warriors.
“Yesterday I prayed when the draw was happening and I think we got the teams that I was wishing for,” said Prophet Magaya.
“On a good day, Nigeria will not beat us home and away, trust me. South Africa, we all know the history, they won’t beat us home and away either.
“So in such a case, I’m very certain that this is our golden chance to qualify (for the FIFA World Cup) more than any other time,” he added.
The football-mad prophet also showed great enthusiasm over the appointment of a four-member normalisation committee put in place by FIFA to run the day to affairs of ZIFA until June 2024.
“I’m very excited over the normalisation committee appointed, which is headed by Mr. Lincoln Mutasa, who I’m told attended the the draw for the World Cup qualifiers,” said Prophet Magaya.
“I said to myself in my prayer: “Lord please let me meet him (Mutasa).” My wish is to meet him and greet him, as well as share with him my little football vision that can make us qualify, because we need to qualify.
“My dream is to see Zimbabwe qualify for the FIFA World Cup and I will do whatever it takes and pray in any other way that I should, to make sure that is achievable.
Prophet Magaya reckons football stakeholders should speak in one voice as far as the Warriors’ World Cup qualifying campaign is concerned.
“We all need to come together, from the people at the Premier Socceer League, as well as everyone else involved,” he said.
“We should also make use of knowledgeable people like our team manager (Wellington Mpandare), who is connected to almost every Zimbabwean player across the world. We should bring all those kids who went to England when they were four or five years old,” added Prophet Magaya.
The poplar prophet also confirmed that Yadah Hotel will also open its doors to the national team, as was the case before, should there be a need.
“Once we would have assembled a team, we just need to give the players enough camp time. We also availed Yadah Hotel for that, and we will keep on doing so. We will keep improving the place so as to accommodate the national team,” said Prophet Magaya.
“Our hands are open, my team at Yadah Hotel is always ready to host the boys (the Warriors).
“If there is a better place, let’s all help each other to send them there, so that they can practice and be ready for this very important assignment (the World Cup qualifiers),” he added.