Online Reporter
HOSTS Zimbabwe got off to a losing start after a 0-1 defeat in the CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations COSAFA Qualifiers at Ngoni MWOS Stadium yesterday.
It completes a poor seven days for the national teams after the Warriors lost back-to-back World Cup qualifiers to Benin and Rwanda by the same scoreline.
Despite vocal backing from the home crowd, Zimbabwe could not find a way through the Mozambique defence.
The Young Warriors created promising openings and pressed forward with energy, but their attacks lacked a decisive finish.
Mozambique’s defence stood firm, remaining compact and well-organised to shut down any clear goal-scoring opportunities.
Chauson Nhabanga scored the decisive goal in the first half. Earlier, 10-man Comoros recorded a commanding 3-0 victory over Eswatini, who were also reduced to ten players.
Comoros took the lead in the first half through Fasifdine Said Ahamada.
After the break, Mathias Daniel Ali doubled the advantage before Fahad Mohammed sealed the result to hand the two-time fourth-place finishers the perfect start.
Eswatini had the chance to strike first when awarded an early penalty, but goalkeeper Nkosenhle Kunene denied Yassine Mchangama, who also missed the rebound.
Eswatini failed to register a single shot on target in the opening half and created only one meaningful chance after the break, when Yakhani Magagula was denied by Ilian Saleh.
The action continues today with the opening matches in Groups B and C.
At Ngoni, Madagascar face Malawi in the early Group B clash at midday followed by a heavyweight meeting between South Africa and defending champions Zambia at 3pm.
At Heart Stadium, Mauritius play Lesotho in the Group C opener at midday and last year’s runners-up Angola then meet Botswana at 3pm.
With only the group winners and the best runner-up across the three groups advancing to the semi-finals, teams cannot afford any slip-ups.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
Group A
Comoros 3 – 0 Eswatini
(Ahamada 45’, M. Ali 87’, Mohamed 90’)
Zimbabwe 0 – 1 Mozambique (Nhabanga 8’) – Sports Reporter/COSAFA.com
Bongani Ndlovu