Former Mighty Warriors player Rudo Neshamba has been appointed team manager of the Zimbabwe Women's Under-17 National Team, marking a new chapter in her long-standing association with Zimbabwean football.
Neshamba is set to travel with the junior side to Uganda for an away fixture in the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, where Zimbabwe will be aiming to secure a place on the global stage.
Neshamba remains one of the country’s most decorated players. She was part of the historic squad that qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics, making history as the first football team from Zimbabwe men’s or women’s to reach the Olympic Games.
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Her football journey began in primary school before she joined Inline Academy in 2006. During a challenging 2013 season when the domestic league failed to kick off, she spent six months in Botswana with Double Action Ladies FC, where she made an immediate impact by scoring 14 goals in under half a season.
Neshamba’s club career has also included a stint in Israel with Ramat HaSharon in the Israeli Women’s Premier League, as well as playing locally for Harare City Queens.
On the international stage, her achievements date back to youth level. In 2010, she won gold at the Zone VI Youth Games in Eswatini. She progressed to the senior team in 2011, contributing to Zimbabwe’s qualification for the All Africa Games in Maputo after victories over Zambia and Angola.
That same year, she helped Zimbabwe lift the COSAFA Women’s Championship, participated in a training camp in Germany, and played a key role in securing the Zimbabwe Unity Cup with a 3-0 win over South Africa. In 2012, she was again part of the squad that dominated Botswana 5-0 to retain the Unity Cup.
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