admin
Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
Kenya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
IT could have been better or worse, but in the end Zimbabwe opened their quest for the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualification with this draw at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda yesterday.
Looking for a fresh start under new coach Michael Nees, the Warriors showed some hunger, but they were not as effective as they ought to be before settling for a point in Kenya’s adopted home ground.
Without an approved venue of their own for international matches, Zimbabwe will also play their home match at the same stadium in their second Group J tie against Cameroon next Tuesday.
But the squad needed to begin the campaign perfectly against a relatively easy opponent in the form of the Harambe Stars.
Yet it was Kenya who carried the most energy in the opening phases of the game as they were threatening especially in the right flank where Austine Otieno was having a field day over Godknows Murwira.
With all eyes on him after being thrown straight into the deep end after returning from a three-year international retirement, Khama Billiat never disappointed.
It is the pint-sized talisman who looked ever likely to supply or get the goal for the Warriors if they were ever going to.
The star midfielder should have recorded a super assist had Walter Musona been a bit quicker meeting a diagonal drive pass as Zimbabwe sniffed the Kenyan goal for the first time, 10 minutes into the game.
Once the Warriors showed intent, the Harambee Stars limited their forward forays and resultantly play was mostly restricted in midfield.
It was Kenya who enjoyed most of the ball, but Zimbabwe kept their territory well with Andy Rinomhota outstanding in midfield battles where he won duels, tackles and interceptions with so much conviction.
He worked overtime, at times with captain Marshal Munetsi not helping matters as he never asserted himself on the beautiful Mandela turf.
The skipper got the best chance for the Warriors with Billiat sliding the ball in his way, but he somehow, inexplicably missed the ball completely with Kenya goalkeeper Byrne Omondi off guard.
A follow-up by Jordan Zemura couldn’t yield the elusive goal with the Udinese player slow enough to hit the ball home as the Kenyans survived the biggest scare of the opening half.
That missed chance energised the Warriors who enjoyed some raucous support from a handful of vuvuzela-blowing Zimbabweans based in the Pearl of Africa.
And Prince Dube should have opened the scoring three minutes before the break when receiving another super pass from Billiat and took two touches to the wrong side of goal and narrowed his own angle before shooting straight at Omondi.
That miss summed up the frustrating afternoon for the Warriors who then sat back for most of the second half as if to confirm their satisfaction with a point.
Surprisingly jittery all afternoon and wayward in his service, veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi they made his experience count after smothering Eric Otieno’s low shot from close range before the defence cleared their lines with a quarter of an hour before time.
Nees refreshed his men by pulling out Dube, Musona and Tawanda Chirewa in different intervals in the second period and one of the substitutes Douglas Mapfumo gave the Warriors a new attacking impetus, while winger Daniel Musendami had to graft, helping out Murwira who was being subdued on the right.
Billiat and Tawanda Maswanhise got some decent chances, but the Kenyan defence were equal to the task blocking both efforts and at the finish line, Kenya and Zimbabwe couldn’t be separated.
Nees said for a team which had only two full training sessions together, a draw wasn’t that bad to open a campaign with.
“We played against a team with a lot of optimism. I am actually satisfied with the performance. We battled at the beginning, a little bit shaky, a little bit crampy, I must admit,” said Nees.
“The longer the game, the better we became. It was a good performance, but not a great one. But for me it was a good landing.
“We had our first training on Monday together, Tuesday the second and basically we had a full squad on Wednesday.
“Two sessions with a full squad and the danger is we are going to overload the players and forget everything.
“We created some chances, but our game could be more improved.
“Overall, I am satisfied for the type of play, I think they did well”.
The Warriors do not have more time to look back at what could have been in yesterday’s match as they have already switched their focus to their second Group J match against Cameroon on Tuesday. Only the top two teams from the four-country group will get tickets to the 2025 Afcon finals to be staged in Morocco next year.
The qualifiers will all be played in a crash-programme which ends in November.
Namibia is the fourth country in Group J.
Teams
Kenya: Byrne Omondi, Eric Omondi (John Avire 67min), Ronney Onyango, Eric Otieno (Abud Abudi 85min), Richard Odada, Duke Abuya, Austine Otieno, Antoney Agay, Alphonce Omija (Amos Obiero 21min), Sylvester Ahono, Joseph Okumu
Zimbabwe: Washington Arubi, Godknows Murwira, Jordan Zemura, Gerald Takwara, Munashe Garan’anga, Marshal Munetsi, Andy Rinomhota, Khama Billiat, Tawanda Chirewa (Daniel Msendami 58min) Walter Musona (Tawanda Maswanhise 59min), Prince Dube (Douglas Mapfumo 81min)
Online Reporter