Online Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Under-17s live to fight another day after a tense 0-0 draw with Eswatini kept their COSAFA Championship hopes flickering in Norton on Saturday.
The Young Warriors, beaten 1-0 by Mozambique in their opener, sit bottom of Group A with one point. Comoros and Mozambique lead with four apiece. Only the three group winners and the best runner up will reach the semi-finals, which also serve as qualifiers for next year’s CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Coach Thulani Sibanda refused to concede defeat in the qualification race. “It’s a game that we should have won. We dominated play. We created chances. There wasn’t much that Eswatini was doing in terms of their attack,” he said. “But we still have to believe. It’s good that the other match in the afternoon also ended in a draw. So anything is possible. We can end on four points. We can have everybody ending on four and maybe the goal difference coming into effect. We just have to continue to believe, but it’s a game that we should have won.”
Finishing again proved Zimbabwe’s downfall. “As you saw today in terms of chances created, we did create chances. So it’s a question of working on our finishing,” Sibanda said, noting that some key players are yet to hit top form.
He also pointed to the injury to right back Prince Chimwakale as a turning point. “In the first half we were able to attack both using the number three and our right back Prince, but unfortunately when Prince was injured we could only attack through the left back which created a challenge on the right,” Sibanda explained.
For the final showdown with Comoros, Sibanda wants an explosive start. “We need to start the game as if it can end in five minutes, not to wait. We could have ended this game in the first ten minutes, but these boys think they will score later and then it becomes difficult. So against Comoros we must start the game as if it can end in five minutes. Once we do that, if we get an early goal then the rest is history.”
Comoros and Mozambique drew 0-0 earlier in the day, a result that means a perfect finish could still rescue Zimbabwe’s campaign if goal difference favours them.
Group B and C action continues Sunday, South Africa face Madagascar and Zambia meet Malawi at the Heart Stadium, while Ngoni hosts Botswana against Mauritius and Angola against Lesotho.
