Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in MARRAKECH, Morocco
DEJECTED Warriors remained on the Grande Stade de Marrakech turf for exactly 21 minutes after the final whistle just to confirm their frustration at being once again bundled out of the Africa Cup of Nations.
It was a match they had no other option on their plate but just to win for them to progress to the Round of 16 for the first time in six attempts.
With Egypt playing a draw against Angola in the other fixture, all the Warriors needed was a win!
But then they made a catalogue of errors, literally gifting Bafana Bafana all three goals to bow out without a single win in Group B, having lost to Egypt (2-1) and drawn 1-1 with Angola.
Marian Marinica said, “Well, as I said, we are absolutely disappointed, but it’s the way we conceded the goals which is most disappointing.
“It’s not actually the way we played. I think we played well, I think we were very strong and we gave them a lot of problems.
“At some point, my boys played with a lot of intent, and we took the game out of them and we put them under pressure.”
Although they worked hard for their two goals, which ordinarily should be enough to win a game, Zimbabwe were undone by their own mistakes and in the end they pasted that same old story.
Tshepang Moremi first did the damage with a deflected shot finding the target.
The Warriors did manage to fight back, with Tawanda Maswanhise scoring a wonder goal after a long onset slalom run through a thicket of South African defenders with 19 minutes on the clock.
Then five minutes after the break, Lunga made a calamitous mistake, failing to generate enough power on his header as he tried to push the ball back to goalkeeper Washington Arubi. It was a gift to Lyle Foster.
Maswanhise came back again to haunt South Africa; Ronwen Williams stuck his right foot out to clip his shot, but defender Aubrey Modiba inadvertently hit his own net.
Then captain Marvelous Nakamba, desperately trying to clear a free-kick that was, however, going off target, handled the ball as he went down to head it out.
A VAR check awarded a penalty to South Africa. Up stepped Appollis, and the Orlando Pirates man didn’t make any mistake.
“We created chances, but, unfortunately, the ball didn’t roll in our favour.” Particularly that Maswanhise shot that hit the post, it could have gone, it’s just a centimetre, it could have gone either way and it could have been probably a different game,” said Marinica.
“The same thing on the Nakamba penalty, a little bit of bad luck, striking the ball off the player is a bit debatable.
“It’s a penalty, it’s not a penalty, but that could have been different. But the referees make the decision, and they probably saw better.
“That’s it, so it was a very short balance between us getting the result and us not getting the result.”
The Warriors were so near in all three group games, but unfortunately they will be heading back home together with Angola from Group B.
South Africa coach did acknowledge the Warriors are always a threat but he had a good plan to nip them.
“Well, you know, I said this afternoon in the pre-match meeting to the boys that there was still a bill open and that we have to try to get Zimbabwe to pay the bill today and that they have to pay the bill,” he said.
“We all know that for Zimbabwe it’s a special game when they play against South Africa. Every game since I’ve been here that I played against Zimbabwe was difficult. We won nearly every time, but it was difficult.
Teams
Zimbabwe: Washington Arubi, Munashe Garananga (Emmanuel Jalai 73min), Gerald Takwara, Brendan Galloway, Divine Lunga, Jonah Fabisch (Tadiwanashe Chakuchichi 88min),Marvelous Nakamba, Bill Antonio (Tawanda Chirewa 59min), Daniel Msendami (Junior Zindoga 59 min), Prince Dube (Macauley Bonne 59min), Tawanda Maswanhise
South Africa: Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Aubrey Modiba, Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi (Mohau Nkota 74min), Lyle Foster (Evidence Magkopa 72min), Sphephelo Sithole (Bathusi Aubaas 46min), Sipho Mbule (Thalente Mbatha 86min), Khuliso Mudau, Siyabonga Ngezana
