adminMusona struck in the 36th minute on a fine sunny day when the senior team finally remembered how to win at the National Sports Stadium and his goal was enough to send an otherwise enthusiastic Burundi crashing out while the Warriors secured their passage into the second and final qualifying round in the race for places at the 2013 African Cup of Nations.
The 22-year-old forward was also on target in the first leg in Bujumbura on February 29 and that away goal made all the difference yesterday as it counted double and ensured it is the Warriors who advance on the away goal’s rule.
Musona had been under immense pressure in the build-up to yesterday’s game after a mini-goal drought and crucially the accusations and suspicions of match-fixing that followed his alleged meeting with former Zifa chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya.
He also had to shake off an ankle injury that threatened to scupper his participation in a match the Warriors needed to win at all costs.
But once he was certified fit to play, the German-based forward who insisted in a meeting with the technical crew that he is innocent, put all the off-field problems behind him and led the Warriors’ line of attack with distinction as he has often done, since he burst onto the senior team fold.
The sight of Musona racing to embrace his under-pressure coach Rahman Gumbo soon after scoring the winner also told a story of a pair that had been going through a lot in the last three weeks.
By the time Gabonese referee Eric Constance Otoyo blew to end the match, the “Smiling Assassin’’ as Musona is affectionately known had done enough damage and
had been rested with three minutes of regulation time remaining, CAPS United’s Clive Kawinga coming on to replace him. Musona, however, showed no signs of emotions as he spoke about the game and revealed that he was dedicating the goal to “the whole of Zimbabwe and to Katsande’’ who had been expelled in the 29th
minute following a clumsy challenge on an opponent.
“I am very happy because we did very well for the country.
“Today we had some good chances, but we managed to score one and in the end everyone was very happy.
“We also had to play for Willard after he was shown the red card and everyone worked hard so that he would not feel bad about the card. He wanted to play the whole game but unfortunately he was red carded. We just had to work as a team and combine so that we were not short in midfield.
“I think we did a good job, we maintained our discipline on the pitch and everything was perfect . . . today we showed that we have character,’’ said Musona.
But what does this mean for him given what he had gone through and the disappointment of missing chances against Guinea and Mozambique in the World Cup qualifiers?
“I am very happy because you know as a striker going for two or three games without scoring can be very frustrating, but today I think my scoring boots were here and we managed to score.
“I also dedicate this goal to the entire nation, I am very happy for my country and I am happy that today we won as a team’’.
Musona has in the last two assignments been donning Jersey number 2, but in a bid to “just change everything I felt I should also change the jersey number and wear number 18 today but it is nothing superstitious’’.
The Warriors chief striker also urged the football chiefs to ensure the senior team is afforded more time together before the final round of qualifiers resume in September.
Zimbabwe will now go into a draw for the second sand final qualifying round to be staged by the Confederation of African Football on July 5.
“In the last three weeks we have been together and it helped us a lot and it showed in this game because the combinations are now coming up and we now know how we play for each other.
“When you don’t train together for very long, the combinations won’t come out so if we can have some more friendly matches it will help us,’’ Musona said. Skipper Tapuwa Kapini who endeared himself with the fans as he performed the Zora Butter dance routine was also over the moon as he celebrated the first win of his Warriors captaincy.
Kapini also showed the true leader that he is with a match-winning performance in which he pulled off some brilliant saves as the Burundi Swallows sought to capitalise on their numerical advantage and fine the equaliser that could have taken them through.
But Kapini who had challenged his troops to come to the party was in no mood for yet another disappointing outing with the AmaZulu goalkeeper indicating afterwards that “a win had to come some day and today it came’’.
“It (the win) came today on a special day you know today is Father’s Day and what a better way to celebrate it.
“I would like to congratulate my team, they fought hard. It is not easy to play with 10 men for nearly 70 minutes. I am happy with this team and I think we can go far. I am also very happy to win my first game as captain.
“We have been under a lot of pressure in the last three weeks but the coach has always been emphasising on the need to be confident and to believe in our abilities.
The spirit in the camp has also been very good.
“I also want to thank the supporters but at the same time plead with them that we need them the most when we are under pressure so sometimes when things are not going our way they need to bear with us,’’ Kapini said.
The Warriors also burst into song and dance in their dressing room and in the absence of champagne they showered their jubilant coach Gumbo with mineral water as they celebrated a win that took them to within 180 minutes of a place at the Nations Cup in South Africa.
Online Reporter