Warriors flatter to deceive

From Petros Kausiyo
in KHARTOUM, Sudan
MADINDA NDLOVU’S home-based band of Warriors flattered to deceive at the African Nations Championships as they slumped to their second Group B defeat — a 2-1 loss to South Africa on Sunday night — that blew away their chance of a dream quarter-final place at the tournament.
The Warriors had the temerity to take the lead with the fastest goal of the competition to date when Norman Maroto headed them in front after just two minutes.
But the Warriors blew some fine opportunities in a blistering first quarter of the match before losing their plot and allowing substitute striker Leonard Shabangu, in the 32nd minute, and midfielder Kenneth Mthimukulu, after 61 minutes to complete a dramatic South African comeback and end Zimbabwe’s hopes for a place among the last eight.
Despite finishing with 10 men, following the 63rd minute expulsion of Kevin Nkosi who had been first booked for rough play just 11 minutes earlier, the South Africans finished the more confident side.
The highlight of how much coach Simon Ngomane’s rookies had grown in confidence came five minutes from time when Tiyani Mabunda drew the ball wide on the left flank, controlled it and began showboating with some “Robot dancing’’ while the Warriors defenders watched in apparent awe.
At that stage even a draw would have been enough to ensure South Africa kept top place in Group B but it was no longer enough for the Warriors as Niger, who beat Ghana 1-0, had taken the lead in the other match played at the same time in Wad Medani.
By the time the Zimbabwe, South Africa game ended in Khartoum before an appreciative crowd of mainly Al Hilal fans who were rooting for the Warriors, it dawned on their supporters even those back home watching on television, that skipper Washington Arubi and his troops had flattered with their win over Ghanaonly to deceive with their second loss of the tournament to their southern neighbours.
Madinda, reflecting on the game yesterday, attributed the loss to poor defending and missed chances and revealed that he had been surprised by the nervy defending of his centrebacks Guthrie Zhokinyi and Nyasha Mukumbi.
Both Zhokinyi and Mukumbi were caught flat-footed by a ball from the middle with  Mthimukulu ghosting in from the blind side and firing a near post shot past the badly exposed Arubi.
Even Arubi, for all his experience, knows he should have done better to block Mthimukulu’s winner but the Dynamos goalkeeper seemed to have lapsed in concentration and reacted too late to try and make a save.
Right back Zephaniah Ngodzo, a surprise inclusion in the only change that Madinda made to the team that beat Ghana, was also at fault for South Africa’s first goal as he allowed Shabangu to run in front of him and connect with a header a cross from Already Mkwanazi.
Zephaniah came in as a replacement for CAPS United’s Gilbert Mapemba but the former Highlanders man, normally reliable on his day, did little to offer the Warriors width, speed of execution, crosses with a swerve or aggression on the night.
He was playing at a different wave length to his other defenders given that when they decided to move in, as the cross came through, and expose the South African forwards into off-side positions, Zephaniah was there to provide cover and keep Shabangu on side.
It did not come as a surprise when he was sacrificed for Bhekimpilo Ncube late on after the South Africans had resorted to using a lone striker when they had been reduced to 10 men and had the lead.
Madinda, whose team came second technically and tactically on the night, reckoned that their poor conversion rate in front of goal had also affected their game plan.
“Our game plan was to go and get early goals and I think we scored one of the fastest goals in line with that plan.
“But we then we wasted chances which if we had taken them we should have been talking of something else and I think as they continued missing the chances these youngsters’ confidence also waned.
“We could also have not predicted that Guthrie and Nyasha would have an off day . . . they had done very well in the first two games but they were really not at their best yesterday and it is unfortunate that they did not do well especially giventhat Brian (Mapfumo) and Eric (Mudzingwa) had done well to close South Africa from trying to penetrate through the middle.
“Credit to South Africa too because their wing play was brilliant,’’ Madinda said.
With the Warriors threatening to overrun his men as Archieford Gutu, Denver Mukamba and Maroto came agonisingly close, Ngomane saw the danger and made a tactical change hauling off Cyril Kubheka for Shabangu and that seemed to be the turning point of South Africa’s game as Shabangu’s runs into the box troubled the Zimbabwe defence.
Madinda said he had responded to the South Africans tactical changes by asking Qadr Amini on the left and Zephaniah to keep back and try and check their opponents’ moves on the wings.
“We did make some tactical changes and asked Zephaniah and Qadr not to move forward because they were coming at us from the wings with pace but you cannot also take it away from South Africa, they have been spirited at this  tournament’’.
Madinda, who had thrust his faith in the Under-23 players to drive the Warriors in this campaign, also conceded that Joel Ngodzo, who has been a pale shadow of the player that was behind Bosso’s late charge in the domestic Premiership, and Mukamba, had fizzled out of the match against South Africa early.
“I think the magnitude of this game really took a big toll on them, they came and wanted to make history and wanted to do too much of the basics instead of playing their normal game’’.
Their replacements Charles Sibanda and Clive Kawinga also did little to swing the game in the Warriors favour after being introduced for Joel Ngodzo and Mukamba.
While Sibanda tried to create chances for the Warriors from the left, Kawinga never really got going and seemed to be still reeling from his “dead leg’’ which had kept him out of the Ghana game.
The Warriors are now likely to fly out of Khartoum early tomorrow morning and arrive home later in the day but by late last night Zifa were still to confirm that itinerary.