adminSenior Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe 0 – 1 Sudan
THE Young Warriors were yesterday booted out of the African Games after going down 0-1 to Sudan in a Group A tie in Congo Brazzaville. The loss renders their last game on Sunday against hosts Congo academic. In the other group match, Congo took their points tally to six after a 2-1 win over Burkina Faso, who clash with Sudan in the battle for a semi-final slot on Sunday.
The two sides have three points each and are still in with a chance of topping the group, in the event that Zimbabwe causes an upset and beat Congo.
The Young Warriors are yet to score in 180 minutes of football while their defence has let in two goals so far.
Coach Nation Dube made three changes to the team that lost 0-1 to Burkina Faso in the opening match, benching the Highlanders duo of Nqobizitha Masuku and Teenage Hadebe as well as Chicken Inn’s Tafadzwa Kutinyu.
He replaced them with the duo of Harare City’s Munyaradzi Diro and Emmanuel Takawira. Gunners’ Abel Gwatidzo also made it into the starting line-up.
The loss to Sudan means Zimbabwe have to wait for another four years to try and qualify to have another crack for an African Games gold medal in Angola.
Their best showing so far in the Games was when the country hosted the 1995 edition and won a silver medal after losing to Egypt in the final.
African Games Group A table
P W D L F A Pts
Congo 2 2 0 0 4 2 6
Burkina Faso 2 1 0 1 2 2 3
Sudan 2 1 0 1 2 2 3
Zimbabwe 2 0 0 2 0 2 0
derick.khumalo