FROM the country’s first citizen, President Mnangagwa, to rugby enthusiasts and many neutrals, the senior national team have held Zimbabweans spellbound in the last two weekends. President Mnangagwa, as he has always done, led the way in rallying the nation behind the Sables who face Namibia in a Rugby Africa Cup final at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, Uganda this afternoon. More importantly for the President is that he wants the Sables to make Zimbabwe proud by being the country’s sporting ambassadors at the tournament. So far coach Piet Benade and his men have ticked the boxes in being exemplary ambassadors for our proud nation. This afternoon, the Sables face the toughest and longest 80 minutes of their participation in this year’s edition of the Rugby Africa for which they are the defending champions. A big carrot – qualification for the 2027 Rugby World Cup – is dangling in front of the Sables which Benade will send his men into battle to go and grab. In acknowledging the significance of the task at hand for the Sables, President Mnangagwa also ensured the Zimbabwe squad doing duty in Uganda received extra motivation when he availed a US$100 000 token for the side. We also applaud a number of corporate partners who include RK Fuel, Nedbank, Econet Wireless, Kyros Sports, Alliance Health, Intrachem, Coral Soft and Delta Beverages who have backed the Sables through the Zimbabwe Rugby Union and the Sables Trust on this journey. Many other Zimbabwean companies and individuals have rallied behind the Sables. Former players have also come together to lend their weight of support as have friends and families, some of whom have flown to Kampala for this momentous occasion. Now the ball is certainly in captain Hilton Mudariki and his troops’ court to make all the years of hard work that have been put, count. From the previous ZRU leadership led by the late Aaron Jani, the current Losson Mtongwiza executive, the outgoing Sport and Recreation Commission board, a huge shift has been put behind the scenes to give the Sables the kind of impetus they needed to reach their second successive Africa Cup final. As we pin our hopes on the Sables to deliver the country to the Promised Land, we also urge the nation to have guarded expectations as the Namibians are no mean feat. Like any sporting contest, the result could go either way and should the Sables somehow fail, we urge encouragement, rather than despair, finger pointing or vilification of Benade and his team. The Sables have already turned the corner and can only build-on from this. It has been raining in Kampala and the weather could play a part in determining the tactical approaches and even the outcome, but resilience and versatility are hallmarks of Zimbabweans and as the old saying goes: “Come rain, come thunder’’, in the Sables we believe those characteristics are the bedrock of their campaign. Yes, the Welwitschias, as Namibia are popularly known, have seemingly mustered the art of frustrating the Sables and their 21-7 semi-final victory over Algeria showed their pedigree to move within sight of their eighth Rugby World Cup qualification. But the fact that this crop of Sables found a way to beat them in last year’s Africa Cup semi-final proved they are not invincible. For the first time in decades, Zimbabwe have assembled what can only be described as a complete arsenal: all the top-tier players are present, their welfare well catered for and fully incentivised. Surrounding this class of players is a broad and specialised technical team, fine-tuning every minute aspect of the game with clinical precision. Remarkably, there have been reports that even regional rivals – Kenya, Morocco and a partisan Ugandan crowd – appear to be leaning towards the Zimbabwe corner for today’s epic decider. Apart from Mudariki, Zimbabwe boast a balanced side that blends youth, experience and flair in the likes of Ian Prior, Tapiwa Mafura, and the rising 21-year-old speedster Edward Sigauke. But for all this firepower, complacency remains a credible threat. If the Sables are to prevail, it will be because they remain grounded and cohesive, as they have been throughout the tournament. It no doubt promises to be a bruising and evenly matched affair. Namibia have quietly bolstered their pack with overseas-based talent and have shrouded their preparations in near-total secrecy amid reports that even the media in Uganda have been closed out from their training sessions. For Zimbabweans, what matters most is what the scoreboard will be reading like at the sound of the hooter at the end of the 80 minutes of an expected blood and thunder battle. It has been a long 34-year wait for this country to secure World Cup qualification and we believe it is Zimbabwe’s time now. Let’s throw our full weight behind the Sables and support them in all kind and manner including the nation’s prayers. It has been done before, it can be done again and these Sables can do it for Zimbabwe.