Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira, Zimpapers Sports Hub
PRIDE, pressure, and passion will be in abundance this afternoon as familiar rivals South Africa and Zimbabwe clash in a Cosafa Cup Group A fixture at the Free State Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Both teams are desperate for a win after stumbling in their tournament openers. Hosts South Africa suffered a 1-0 defeat to Mozambique on Wednesday, despite dominating possession. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe were held to a goalless draw by a spirited Mauritius side in a match overshadowed by VAR drama.
Zimbabwean legend Zenzo Moyo did not mince his words when assessing the Warriors’ underwhelming performance in their opener, strongly criticising the team’s lack of urgency and national pride.
“It wasn’t a convincing performance in the first game in all honesty. The boys lacked the zeal of people playing for the nation. If it wasn’t for VAR we could have easily lost that game.
“Yes, people will talk about the team not having enough training sessions together, but this is the national team you don’t get that much time to prepare. The boys just failed to rise to the occasion,” Moyo said.
Moyo, who once wore the Warriors jersey with distinction, stressed that today’s clash carries far more than just three points, describing it as a must-win derby.
“When you wear the national team jersey you must fight for the nation and I did not see the zeal from the boys. This is an opportunity for some of these youngsters to be making noise for inclusion in the Afcon squad but they are not doing that.
“Playing against South Africa, this is a derby we should win. The boys must pull up their socks in this one because this is a game we cannot afford to lose,” said Moyo.
Like Zimbabwe, South Africa missed chances in their 1-0 defeat to Mozambique, despite 70 percent possession and 11 shots. Antonio Sumbane’s 74th-minute goal sealed their fate.
Coach Vela Khumalo admitted his team was wasteful, hinting at line-up changes. Forwards Boitumelo Radiopane and Mokibelo Ramabu may feature more prominently, with Darren Johnson replacing goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma.
South Africa has dominated recent encounters, winning the last two and remaining unbeaten against Zimbabwe since 2013. With both teams seeking their first tournament goal and group qualification hanging precariously, today’s 15:00 kick-off in Bloemfontein promises a tense, hard-fought battle.
