Chipezeze vs Chadya vs Mapisa: Who should start for the Warriors?
A day before the Warriors plunge into the 2027 AFCON Qualifiers against Sierra Leone and then DRC, new coach Ramon Catala has a big call to make on who starts as the Warriors’ Number One.
The Warriors take on Group E opponents Sierra Leone on September 24 at Stade El Abdi in Morocco, and DRC at the National Sports Stadium on September 28.
At his disposal, Catala has three strong contenders for the number one jersey, with veteran Washington Arubi currently sidelined through injury. But this is not just about who is the most liked shot-stopper.
THE TRIED AND TESTED ELVIS CHIPEZEZE
Elvis Chipezeze in Warriors camp in Morocco. Picture by ZIFA
Each brings a different quality – and minor details are likely to decide who gets the nod. The most experienced among them is Elvis Chipezeze.
The 36-year-old Magesi FC captain has 12 caps and a decorated career in South Africa since 2018, where he won the Telkom Knockout with Baroka FC and the 2024 Carling Knockout Cup with Magesi, beating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the final.
He has collected individual honours including Carling Knockout Player of the Tournament, Betway Premiership Player of the Month and a PSL Goalkeeper of the Season nomination. What Chipezeze brings is consistency.
He has played in hostile atmospheres, in finals against Pirates and Sundowns, and has never lost a cup final in South Africa. For high-pressure away games, that composure could be the tiny detail Catala trusts.
NELSON CHADYA BANKING ON HIS RECORD BREAKING PSL SEASON
On the other hand, Nelson Chadya arrived in camp in scintillating form, arguably the most in-form Zimbabwean goalkeeper at the moment.
The Scottland FC shot-stopper leads the Golden Glove race with 21 clean sheets from 28 league matches, having conceded just 10 goals.
It will not be a surprise if he gets the nod ahead of Chipezeze. What Chadya brings is momentum and dominance. He has now surpassed the clean sheet tally previously held by Benard Donovan, with Scottland top of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League on 60 points. But the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League and AFCON qualifiers are very different platforms.
Chadya, who has one Warriors cap, was named PSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022 after recording 19 clean sheets. His aerial command and organizational skills at set-pieces will be crucial and against physical sides like Sierra Leone and DRC – could be the small margin that sways the coach.
MAPISA: THE MODERN WALL
Martin Mapisa in Warriors camp. Picture by ZIFA
Thirdly, Martin Mapisa, who has two caps, will also be fancying his chances. The former Aces Youth Academy goalkeeper spent six years in Spain’s lower leagues with Velez, Barrio NS Remedios, Zamora, Llanera and Malaga City before returning to join Dynamos in 2024.
He later featured for MWOS FC in the 2025 season and joined Hardrock FC for the 2026 campaign. At 28, Mapisa feels he has so much to prove having been third choice in the Warriors set-up.
What Mapisa brings is a modern profile having spent six years in Spain refined his footwork and distribution, exactly the type of keeper Catala, who favours building from the back, might want.
In the end, it may not be the saves that decide it, but who commands the box best in training, who communicates better with the back four, and who fits Catala’s tactical plan.
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