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Gumbo, thrust into the Warriors coaching job in February, albeit on an interim basis, was left still searching for the first win of his latest flirtation with the national team after an eight-year absence.
In his last dance with the Warriors as head coach in 2004, Gumbo began with a thumping 5-1 win over Swaziland in a Cosafa Castle Cup tie in Mbabane before he led his charges to a fine 2-0 triumph over Rwanda in Kigali in a 2006 World Cup/African Cup of Nations qualifier.
His third assignment yielded a 1-1 draw with Algeria at home before a 3-0 hiding at the hands of an Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha inspired Nigeria at the National Sports Stadium. But the much-travelled FC Platinum coach has not met with the same success on his return to the Warriors’ fold with statistics showing that he has so far presided over two defeats — by Burundi in a 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier and the 1-0 defeat by Guinea in their first World Cup assignment on 3 June.
On Sunday Gumbo and his men were in Maputo where the veteran coach watched in anguish from the touchline as his charges did well to absorb the host’s pressure, seized the initiative and created some good chances but still fired blanks for a 0-0 draw that has left them five points behind early Group G leaders Egypt.
The Pharaohs, led by ageless Al Ahly midfielder and former African Player of the Year Mohammed Aboutrika, showed their character and intentions to win the group by securing a vital 3-2 victory over Guinea in Conakry late on Sunday. Egypt now have six points, Guinea are second on four, while third-placed Zimbabwe and basement side Mozambique have a point each.
With the Pharaohs being the Warriors’ next Group G opponents in Egypt on 22 March next year, it may be more realistic for Gumbo and his men to set their sights on a more realistic possibility of a place at the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa and acknowledge that the 2014 World Cup qualifying dream remains nothing more than what it is — a dream.
But it is their failure to just find that winning touch again which is now worrying Gumbo with some players also even suggesting that the Warriors now need divine intervention “and maybe any of the popular evangelists and church leaders in the country to help pray for the team”.
This is because Knowledge Musona, who was scoring with such regularity at some stage that one could count on him to put away half chances, suddenly can’t find his range even when clear on goal. Takesure Chinyama was hogging the limelight with some classy goals for Dynamos in a dream return to the domestic scene but the former Legia Warsaw man has appeared very ordinary in Warriors colours and could not connect a good Musona cross in the second half in Maputo.
Even Ovidy Karuru and Ajax Cape Town hotshot Khama Billiat are not playing with the same conviction that saw them help the Warriors tear Mali apart at Rufaro in June last year and Liberia at the National Sports Stadium three months later. Karuru who was replaced by Denver Mukamba in the 53rd minute after taking a knock on his rib left his team and the band of fans who had followed the Warriors from Harare shaking their heads in disbelief when he blew away a golden chance to find what could have been the winner in 42nd minute.
Gumbo had Onismor Bhasera at left back and moved Vusa Nyoni into an attacking role on the left channel at the expense of Billiat while starting with Willard Katsande in midfield ahead of Archieford Gutu in the two changes he made to the side that lost to Guinea.
But still the goals could not come and thus the Warriors stretched their winless run in all competitions to four matches. Gumbo, however, refuses to think of a confidence crisis in the Warriors camp and instead believes “it is just the luck that has not been our side”.
Sunday’s draw was the sixth between the Warriors and the Mambas in all competitions while Zimbabwe, rated 11 places higher at 106 on the Fifa World rankings, have won nine matches with only two going the Mozambicans’ way. The Warriors have scored 38 goals against the Mozambicans with the Mambas breaching the Zimbabwe defence 16 times but in the latest clash in Maputo neither side found the cutting edge.
Mozambique who had started off strongly with Mamelodi Sundowns’ Elias Domingue Pelembe dictating the pace failed to capitalise on their early dominance and when they came close in the second half they found an inspired Tapuwa Kapini on guard.
Once veteran Tinashe Nengomasha closed down Pelembe, the Mambas supply line was virtually cut but still the Warriors were found wanting in their final third with Gumbo eventually substituting both Chinyama and Musona for Terrence Mandaza and Billiat.
“Mozambique are not a bad side but they depend too much on individuals and they were relying too much on Pelembe to do the play-making. Today there was no pressure on our players but how can the key players keep missing chances.We didn’t come to Maputo to defend, we were attacking but if we cannot put away the chances then it’s about luck.
“I think what we just need is to get that one goal and we are home and dry”. Against the Mambas Gumbo seemed to have sorted his defence with veteran Esrom Nyandoro, Carlington Nyadombo, Oscar Machapa and Bhasera repelling virtually everything that the hosts threw at them while Nengomasha and Katsande worked their socks off to provide the first line of defence.
But in the game of football it is the goals that count and as the Warriors shift their focus on their last assignment this month — the return leg against Burundi — they will be hoping that Zifa will this time heed the call to stage the match at Rufaro and crucially remember how to win and power their way into the Nations Cup final qualifying round.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo