Warriors coach Jairos Tapera says he is  proud of his charges despite failing to reach the knockout stage of the 2024 COSAFA Cup.

Zimbabwe was eliminated from the tournament after losing 2-0 to Kenya in the final Group B game played on Tuesday.

The national team had a strong start to the campaign which saw them topping the group with six points ahead of the tie.

They won 1-0 and 2-0 against Comoros and Zambia, respectively.

Speaking after Tuesday’s match, Tapera said:

“I can’t say I am proud of the six points that we got because there was a chance for us to qualify for the knockout stage.

“But I am proud of the performance of the boys. Most of these guys, it was their first time to play in an international competition and they showed a lot of skill and organisation, which I feel if given an opportunity, they can graduate to the next level.

“Apart from the result, I’m proud of the boys. They showed a lot of courage and going forward I am sure we will have a stable national team.”