Nyakuchena relishing Mighty Warriors start as Gotal faces goalkeeper poser
Chesham United Women goalkeeper Tanya Nyakuchena is relishing her breakthrough into the senior setup and pushing for a debut when the Mighty Warriors begin their journey to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games against Malawi.
Mighty Warriors coach Stella Gotal expects Zimbabwe to play with intensity and go for victory despite facing a Malawi side high on confidence, and the inclusion of the England-based protege has probably left her with a selection poser in goal.
Gotal has named a provisional 27-member squad in camp ahead of the second-round qualifier, a squad laden with experience, with Emmaculate Msipa being recalled into the fold.
Msipa and Rutendo Makore are the only two players in the squad who played for the Mighty Warriors when they qualified for their maiden Olympics at Rio 2016 and are expected to bring a wealth of experience around the young keeper.
The Scorchers, as the Malawi senior women’s team are monikered, are coming off an impressive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 campaign where they finished second in Morocco, earning a silver medal after losing the final to Cameroon.
It will be their first home game since that fairytale debut run and on paper Malawi have an edge.
Mighty Warriors in camp. Picture by ZIFA
The second-round tie will be played over two legs, with the first leg set for October 9, 2026, against Malawi at Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe at 3:00 PM CAT, before the return leg on October 13, 2026, at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, also kicking off at 3:00 PM CAT.
Beyond Msipa, Makore and a handful of established internationals such as Cynthia Shonga (Herentals Queens), Gotal will have to rely heavily on youth, including Nyakuchena who plays her club football for Chesham United Women in England.
In goals, Gotal has Shonga, Vanessa Lunga (Platinum Royals), Delight Matigwene (Chapungu Queens) and Nyakuchena, leaving her with a real poser on whether to stick with experience or throw in the protege.
Nyakuchena represented Zimbabwe at U-17 level, making her first appearance for the Young Mighty Warriors on May 16, 2025, against Zambia during the COSAFA U17 Girls Championship in Windhoek, Namibia, where she helped guide the team to the semi-finals.
Her call-up in October 2026 makes history as one of the youngest goalkeepers ever called up to the senior Mighty Warriors setup.
“I am happy for the opportunity that I have been given and I’m going to take this and show everyone what I have got. I am glad to be wearing the Zimbabwean badge,” Nyakuchena said.
“We are really prepared especially as a team, we have been working hard challenging ourselves. It means a lot, I’m learning from others especially as a young player and they have shown me a lot of appreciation,” she added.
Gotal admitted the original plan still leans heavily towards experience for the Malawi test, with the initial squad containing veterans like Bridget Mutaurwa, Daisy Kaitano and Ruvimbo Mucherera, but Nyakuchena’s rise from the COSAFA U17s to Chesham United Women and now the senior badge shows the design is also to blend youth for the future as Zimbabwe chase a second Olympic appearance.
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