Tadious Manyepo-Zimpapers Sports Hub
Zim U-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Mali U-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) 3
THE Young Warriors’ flaws were cruelly exposed and duly punished, leaving Zimbabwe’s chances of qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games hanging in the balance following the defeat to the visiting Mali Under-23 football team at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
The Zimbabwe youth side found themselves trailing after only eight minutes when Aboubacar Sidibe ran through to slide home from the right.
The Malians doubled their lead from the penalty spot through Niama Sissoko midway through the half, before substitute Seydou Dembele killed the game as a contest with an angled shot past goalkeeper Tatenda Chikowero shortly after the half time break.
In reality, overturning the deficit is now an uphill task for Zimbabwe.
Young Warriors’ stand-in coach Wilson Mutekede admitted it is going to be a long way before his group can match the best on the continent, although he was naturally optimistic they could still turn the fixture around when they play the return leg away next Tuesday.
Mutekede stood in for Marc Sanchez after the Spanish gaffer had travelled with the Warriors to Cameroon for their 2027 AFCON qualifier against Equatorial Guinea today.
“It’s going to be very difficult, but we still have the belief,” he said.
“We made an error by conceding an early goal, which we should have avoided.
“The game became hard for us after going down so early, and the disorientation made us concede the second goal.”
But it was apparent right from kick-off that the Young Warriors were not properly prepared for the clash against opponents of Mali’s calibre, with their body language saying it all.
There were few positives to pick from the match yesterday, especially for a team that scored as many as six goals in their previous two-legged qualifier against Mauritius.
And serious questions about the quality of the selection and the calibre of talent are flying around following the dispirited performance.
The home fans let their frustrations known as the Young Warriors walked back to the dressing room at the break, trying to draw a positive response from this group.
The positive response did come in the second half but was only about it, as they conceded yet again; Dembele scoring an angled goal to kill the contest.
Zimbabwe Under-23 were no match for the Malians, who came with a big reputation after qualifying for the last Olympic Games in Paris.
But that aside, some of Zimbabwe’s woes appeared self-made.
Granted, there is an element of development involved at the Under-23 level, but these are qualifiers for the biggest sporting fiesta in the world, and for the technical team to then try and hide behind the alibi of development is undermining the dignity of this country.
Mutekede could not proffer a convincing explanation for why he sat arguably the best player in this squad, Nisbert Muzenda, on the bench alongside fellow local players Tanaka Munemo and Allan Chapinduka.
Of course, Mali, unlike Mauritius, were expected to offer some tough competition, but the way they ran over the show exposed a flawed integration of local and diaspora talent.
Zimbabwe only managed a single shot on target, as Mali Under-23 goalkeeper Oumar Pona never really got tested.
The Young Warriors’ performance was uninspiring and pathetic.
They have 90 minutes away to Mali to redeem themselves, if not by overturning the 0-3 deficit, then by at least giving it a decent fight, rather than the slight effort they put in at home yesterday.
Teams
Zimbabwe U23: Tatenda Chikowero, Kristian Clark (Nisbert Muzenda 63min), Miles Bracking (Allan Chapinduka 44min), Takudzwa Gwanzura, Richard Nkomo (Tanaka Munemo 80min), Seth Chingwaro, David Chigwada (Reece Evans 46min), Junior Chigumbu (Tinashe Manyumba 46min), Menzi Mazwi, Vernon Masara, Elisha Pfupa
Mali U23: Oumar Pona, Oumar Barry, Hamidou Makalou, Fousseny Doumbia (Eden Gassana 72min), Sekou Doucore, Sekou Kone, Niama Sissoko, Moulaye Haidara (Mahamoud Barry 72min), Aboubacar Sidibe (Amady Camara 72min), Ousmane Thiero, Ibrahima Diakite.
