The Mighty Warriors begin their 2028 Olympic qualifying campaign on Friday afternoon when they face Malawi in the first leg of the second round at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 as Zimbabwe look to make a strong start to their qualification bid for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Zimbabwe received a bye in the first round and will be hoping to secure a positive result away from home before the return leg at the National Sports Stadium on 13 October.

Coach Stella Gotal travelled with a 24-member squad featuring a blend of local and foreign-based players.

Notable names include veterans captain Emmaculate Msipa, Rutendo Makore and Daisy Kaitano.

Gotal is expecting a difficult challenge but believes her team has done enough to secure a positive result.

“We expect a really difficult game,” she said.

“It will be a big challenge for us, but we are really excited and motivated to play that game.

“We know that Malawi has some strong, let’s say, and good quality players, but our girls have worked really hard in training and we are ready.

“They were committed at training and we are ready to compete”.

Preview: Mighty Warriors begin Olympics qualifying campaign against Malawi