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Mighty Warriors crash Uruguay

Sport
ERINA Jeke scored four goals as the senior national women’s football team produced a potent first-half attacking display to rout Uruguay national women’s Under-20 in an international friendly match here at the Domingo Burgueno Miguel Stadium in Maldonado.

ERINA Jeke scored four goals as the senior national women’s football team produced a potent first-half attacking display to rout Uruguay national women’s Under-20 in an international friendly match here at the Domingo Burgueno Miguel Stadium in Maldonado. HENRY MHARA IN MALDONADO, URUGUAY

This was the Mighty Warriors’ second match here after drawing 3-3 with the Uruguay senior team on Tuesday night.

The Rosemary Mugadza-coached side will complete their one-week-long tour here with a rematch against the Uruguay senior national team this evening. Mugadza made six changes to the team that played on Tuesday and fielded mostly players who graduated from the Young Mighty Warriors last year.

Chido Dzingirai, Emma Msipa, Mavis Chirandu, Violet Bepete, Patience Mujuru and Kudakwashe Bhasopo were all given a rare start in the starting 11 and for the players who had so much to prove, they made a mockery of their opposition who participated in the Fifa Women’s Under-20 World Cup last year.

However, the star of the show in this match was Jeke who struck four times in a blistering first-half show. Defensive midfielder Msipa has a genuine case for the woman-of-the-match accolade after dishing out a five-star performance, breaking and linking up play.

Jeke got the Mighty Warriors off the mark early in the match, side-footing into the nets a fine square pass from striking partner Bepete on 16 minutes.

Four minutes later, Jeke grabbed her second goal of the match from close range, beating the keeper on second attempt after her initial shot had been blocked.

Uruguay briefly rallied back as Catherin Berni capitalised on a mistake by defender Patience Mujuru to round off goalkeeper Dzingirai and slot the ball into an empty net on 24 minutes.

But any chances of a comeback were sniffed on the half hour mark when Jeke tapped in from a rebound after Bhasopo’s long-range shot had ricocheted off the cross bar.

She was not finished as yet and right at the stroke of half time, Jeke made it 4-1 from another rebound after the goalkeeper had failed to smoother another Bhasopo’s shot.

Not surprising after the whirlwind pace of the first half, the tempo of the match dropped after the interval.

Not when Merjury Nyaumwe came in to replace Felistus Muzongondi, 25 minutes from the end.

It was not long before the evergreen midfielder was in goal-scoring action, putting the ball away after making a mazy run from deep, near the centre circle. Mighty Warriors line-up: C Dzingirai (P Mukutya, 68mins), P Mujuru, M Musasa (T Mandaza, 55mins), R Mutyavaviri (N Ndlovu, 65mins), E Chibanda, E Msipa, F Muzongondi (M Nyaumwe, 65mins), M Chirandu, K Bhasopo, V Bepete, E Jeke.