dyton mupawaenda
Tadious Manyepo in PRETORIA, South Africa
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0)1
Lesotho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
THE Mighty Warriors were expected to struggle.
They haven’t been playing international football for the past two years.
Everyone else across the Cosafa region has been improving.
But they showed some yawning signs in the early stages of this Cosafa Women’s Championships against Lesotho at Lucas Moripe Stadium yesterday.
That was understandable.
Zimbabwe’s FIFA suspension that went for over 17 months was only lifted in June.
That’s when players started to recalibrate their minds.
This is the country’s first international tournament in the two years that felt like eternity.
And to see the girls struggling to execute the basics in the sweltering heat of Atteridgeville in the initial stages of the 12pm kick-off match wasn’t entirely disappointing.
Lesotho have vastly improved, and they even looked the better team at least until the Mighty Warriors found a way to shake off the rust about a quarter of an hour into the showdown.
But once the Shadreck Mlauzi team settled into the match, they showed that they can still be the force they have always been.
Mlauzi threw in a mixture of youth and experience.
And it paid off.
Zimbabwe dominated territory. They dominated the ball as well.
They were on top of all duels and often won the second ball.
Of course, they were blunt in front of goal and needed a moment of individual brilliance from second half substitute Privilege Mupeti to secure the maximum points.
But they were compact in all departments.
Getting the nod to start ahead of veterans Lindiwe Magwede and Chido Dzingirai, Cynthia Shonga kept the team in the game when thwarting Makhotso Moalesi in a one versus one situation three minutes into the game.
Moalesi had outpaced Vimbai Mharadzi to come face to face with Shonga.
And that save seemed to have awekened the Zimbabweans who started to take the game to their opponents.
Young Tanyaradzwa Chihoro, Shyleen Dambamuromo, Christabel Katona and veteran Daisy Kaitano suffocated the Pule Khojane girls with relative ease.
The Mighty Warriors did create good chances in that first stanza including a gilt edged one that fell to player of the match Katona 20 minutes into the game.
With only the keeper to beat, Katona rushed her effort poking the ball onto the sprawling Lesotho goalie Thuto Maifo.
Captain Rudo Neshamba, who looked a touch slower in the entire 56 minutes she played should have done better when skying Mharadzi’s perfectly flighted corner over on the half-hour mark.
With several clear-cut chances going begging, Zimbabwe needed a moment of magic.
And it arrived with substitute Mupeti.
Picking a loose ball down the channel, Mupeti slalomed her way and sold Maifo a dummy before slicing home three minutes before the hour mark.
Afterwards, Katona and Dambamuromo should have stretched the advantage, but both failed to collect themselves.
“It’s good to mark our return to international football with a win. Lesotho managed to contain us and at times even looked very sharp and threatening,” said Mlauzi.
“It was a tough match, but I am happy we managed to play well and win.
“We could have scored more goals, but we were not very sharp in front of goal.
“We are very happy that we have picked the three points.
“This group is tough and to have pocketed the maximum points means a lot in terms of our future in this particular tournament. We need to stay calm and take each game as it comes”.
Zimbabwe play Namibia at Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg on Monday before they conclude their group business against Botswana two days later.
The winners of each group of the three pools of four countries at this tournament will advance to the semi-finals along with the best-placed runners up across the groups.
Teams
Zimbabwe
Cynthia Shonga, Eunice Chibanda, Purity Mugayi, Vimbai Mharadzi, Nobukhosi Ncube, Daisy Kaitano, Shylyne Dambamuromo (Ennety Chemhere 78min), Tanyaradzwa Chihoro (Edline Mutumbami 46min) Christable Katona (Maudy Mafuruse 78min), Alice Moyo (Privilege Mupeti 46 min), Rudo Neshamba (Praynence Zvawanda 56min)
Lesotho
Thuto Maifo, Mosili Motsoeneng( Phuzile Molefe 74min), Tsoanelo Leboka, Thato Mapepesa, Mosele Pita, Molemo Mokhothu, Litseoana Maloro (Nthabaleng Photsane 73min), Makhotso Moalosi, Matsukulu Motloheloa (Nteboheleng Mohoshela 33min), Bokang Ntsane, Ntsatsi Khakanyo
Online Reporter