Zimbabwe U21 Women’s Hockey Team Qualifies for Junior World Cup

Zimbabwe’s U21 Women’s Hockey team has qualified for the 2025 Junior World Cup after a dominant 6-1 victory over Uganda in the third-place play-off. The crucial match, played on the final day of the African qualifiers, saw the Zimbabwean side rise to the occasion, knowing exactly what was at stake — a spot on the global stage.

Having already beaten Uganda 5-1 earlier in the tournament, confidence was high heading into the fixture. The young Zimbabwean women were focused, disciplined, and ruthless in front of goal, demonstrating their hunger and ambition. Their emphatic win not only secured third place overall but also ensured their ticket to the Junior World Cup in Ontario, Canada, where they will face the world’s elite later this year in December 2025.

This will mark back-to-back appearances at the global showpiece for the team. In the 2023 edition, Zimbabwe finished 14th out of 16 teams, finishing ahead of hosts Chile and New Zealand. With more experience under their belt and strong momentum behind them, there is optimism that this rising group of players can climb even higher on the international stage.

In contrast, it was a difficult outing for the U21 men’s team, who were unable to qualify. After suffering a heavy defeat to Namibia and a narrow loss to Egypt, they managed only a draw with Kenya and a one-goal win over Zambia. These results placed them fifth overall, meaning they miss out on qualification once again, continuing a disappointing run at this level.

For now, the spotlight shines brightly on the U21 women, whose achievement has brought pride and inspiration to the Zimbabwean hockey community. The countdown to Canada begins.