adminRicky Zililo Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe 1-1 Mozambique
A late stunner by Mozambique spoiled the day for Zimbabwe as they were forced to share the spoils in the opening match of the sixth edition of the African Union Sports Council Under-20 Region 5 Games.
With a sizeable crowd cheering the hosts at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday, the Young Warriors failed to maximize on home advantage and let the Mozambicans snatch a point from the jaws of defeat with a beautiful goal in the 90th minute.
Hermenegildo Mario Capena’s dipping volley hit on the run left Zimbabwe’s goalkeeper Kelvin Shangiwa, who was off his line, stunned.
Just after the half-hour mark, Thembalethu Mthunzi atoned for an earlier miss to put Zimbabwe ahead capitalising on a schoolboy goalkeeper’s blunder by Philip Saimone who fumbled a harmless Learnmore Bvochora cross from the right.
Mthunzi had in the 30th minute hit the side net after being set through by Bvochora with only Saimone to beat but made up for the miss three minutes later.
Even when they were a goal down, Mozambique kept fighting looking for the equaliser with brilliant build-ups but found Zimbabwe’s back-four hard to crack.
In the first half the Young Warriors managed to match their opponents especially in the midfield with Bantu Rovers’ Bukhosi Sibanda showing some maturity dictating pace as a play-maker and was ably complemented by Learnmore Muyambo, Thomas Kadyaridzire and Denzel Khumalo.
Mozambique returned from the breather more fired up and their play exposed Zimbabwe’s technical ineptitude as they managed to keep their team shape shifting from a 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 while the hosts seemed to have no clear pattern of play.
What was only visible was Zimbabwe’s back four who all crowded on one striker, letting the Mozambicans to dominate the midfield and the resultant late equaliser did not come as a surprise.
Mozambique will be without defensive midfielder Jose Borges Cossa when they take on Swaziland at Luveve Stadium this afternoon. He was sent off after picking a second yellow card for a lunge on Bukhosi Sibanda in added time .
Meanwhile, there were no post-match interviews with the coaches at all venues as they did not turn up for organised press conferences.
Teams
Zimbabwe: Kelvin Shangiwa, Fadzanai Rukunda (James Munzira, 75th minute), Mathias Chodeva, Learnmore Muyambo, Thomas Kadyaridzire, Denzel Khumalo, Leslie Lunga, Bukhosi Sibanda, Learnmore Bvochora (Anelka Chivandire, 64th minute), Trevor Zidoro, Thembalethu Mthunzi (Tatenda Muringani, 69th minute)
Mozambique: Philip Saimone, Rui Joaquim (Andre Jorge Manhica, 46th minute), Nilton Ernesto (Milvan Salimo, 77th minute), Jose Borges Cossa, Hermenegildo Mario Capena, Shopai Saimone, Adriano Santos, Micas Afonso (Silvio Inguana, 53rd minute), Jose Eladio, Yuran Armando, Domingos Jose
Group A Table
P W D L F A GD Pts
Mozambique 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Zimbabwe 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Angola 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Malawi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Swaziland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bongani Ndlovu
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