Zimbabwe . . . . . (1) 2 Zambia . . . . . . . .(0) 0
The Zimbabwe senior men side, the Warriors, received a confidence booster ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia after easily dispatching rivals Zambia 2-0 in an international football friendly encounter under floodlights at Rufaro Stadium last night.
The Warriors got their goals from the Ajax Cape Town midfield duo of Willard Katsande and Khama Billiat either side of the half whose maiden strikes in national team colours proved to be the difference. Katsande, who played a blinder in midfield, opened the scoring right on the stroke of halftime with a venomous low close-range scorcher after a clever layoff by Edward Sadomba.
The Warriors continued from where they left off in the second half when Billiat, who was left unmarked in the box, pounced on a Quincy Antipas pass to beat Zambian substitute goalie Kakonje Kalililo with only a minute in the second half Zimbabwe thoroughly dominated the first half after settling first in the match before literally camping in the Zambians’ half with the visitors hardly an attacking threat.
An outstanding Katsande and veteran Tinashe Nengomasha were pulling the strings in midfield, never allowing the Zambians enough freedom into the Zimbabwe half.
The highly rated Collins Mbesuma cut a lonely frustrated figure upfront with skipper Method Mwanjali and Daniel Vheremu in mean form at the back.
Zimbabwe made their intentions known as early as the fourth minute with Katsande breaking loose before releasing a long-range shot which Kennedy Mweene could only palm into the path of Sadomba. However, from an acute angle the Al Hilal hitman could only manage to shoot straight at Mweene whose teammate seemed intent on defending than venturing forward.
The Zambians were never a threat as an attacking force as they sustained wave after wave of pressure in the first stanza with Katsande, Ovidy Karuru and Nengomasha dominating in midfield. Following a period of sustained pressure the Warriors broke the deadlock courtesy of Katsande who was given room to pick his spot and shoot for his first goal in Warriors colours after being fed by Sadomba.
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The Zambian defensive duo of Chintu Kampamba and Stoppilla Sunzu reacted slowly allowing Sadomba to control the ball and lay it for Katsande who made no mistake from close range.
The Warriors got off the blocks quickly in the second half with Billiat wowing the fans with his fancy footwork which gave Zambian right-back Francis Kasonde a nightmarish evening.
Billiat would then score his first goal in Warriors colours in only his second outing with Sadomba again controlling a long ball from the right before releasing Antipas who squared the ball for the unmarked Ajax Cape Town player who blasted the ball into the back of the net.
Team Zimbabwe: T Kapini, M Mwanjali, T Khumbuyani, D Vheremu, V Nyoni, Q Antipas, T Nengomasha, W Katsande, O Karuru, K Billiat, E Sadomba Substitutes: W Arubi, B Marere, A Gutu, C Sibanda, E Mudzingwa, L Zvasiya, Q Amini.
