South Africa . . . . . . (0) 1 Zimbabwe . . . . . . .. (0) 2 KNOWLEDGE Musona scored a beauty as the Warriors upset South Africa in an international friendly match played at the Orlando Stadium, South Africa last night.
BRIAN NKIWANE IN JOHANNESBURG,SOUTH AFRICA
Cuthberth Malajila added the second at the dearth to give coach Ian Gorowa a much-needed victory after Sunday’s 1-1 home draw against Mozambique in a World Cup qualifier played at Rufaro Stadium.
Gorowa after the match said: “Our game plan worked well. We saw their match against Botswana. They played well in the middle, so we congested the middle and attacked using wings.”
His counterpart Gordon Igesund said they are still trying new combinations.
Khama Billiat was named the man of the match.
The match started on a high pace with Zimbabwe looking for an early opener, but Musona shot straight at the goalkeeper Darren Keet after getting to the end of a Kingston Nkatha cross with the match just two minutes old.
Bafana Bafana striker Siphelele Mthembu — on two occasions — beat the offside trap, but could not utilise the chances.
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Billiat could have opened the scoring for Zimbabwe when he collected a loose ball in the middle of the park before making a solo run towards goal, but his shot missed the target by inches.
Musona, Billiat and Nkhatha continued to prove a handful for the South African defence and coach Igesund pulled out Thulani Hlatshwayo for Tsepo Gumede with two minutes to play before the halftime whistle in a bid to fortify his defence.
Just after the breather, Zimbabwe re-organised and started playing purposeful football and were rewarded in the 50th minute when Musona chested down Denver Mukamba’s corner kick unmarked.
Musona then unleashed a thunderbolt with his left foot that went in at the far post.
After the goal, tempers started flaring with two Bafana Bafana players getting into Botswana referee Tirelo Mositwane’s book for crude tackles on their counterparts.
Igesund responded with three more substitutes including Siphiwe Tshabalala, but to no avail.
Malajila could have doubled the lead after being set-up by Nkhatha, but his effort went rolling across the goal with a Bafana defender recovering to clear.
But the Mamelodi Sundowns man made no mistake in injury time to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead before Parker gave the scoreline some measure of respectability with a rasping shot that gave the outdrawn Washington Arubi no chance.
In another match played yesterday, African champions Nigeria drubbed Burkina Faso 4-1 with a brace by Brown Ideye and additional goals from Shola Ameobi and Emmanuel Emenike. Both sides used the match to prepare for next month’s 2014 final World Cup qualifiers playoffs.
However, the Stallions were without several of their top stars like Alain Traore, Aristide Bance and Jonathan Pitroipa.
South Africa-based defender James Okwuosa made his international debut for Nigeria.
Ideye gave Nigeria the lead in the 13th minute, when he capitalised on a blunder by Burkina Faso goalkeeper Lare Diarra.
The Dynamo Kiev striker will double the advantage on 43 minutes, when he got to the end of a through ball by John Ogu before he clipped the ball past the Burkina goalkeeper.
Newcastle United striker Ameobi fired Nigeria’s third goal in the 53rd minute for his first goal for the Super Eagles.
Substitute Emenike completed the rout with a fourth goal in the 63rd minute as Nigeria turned on the style inside a packed Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna. Burkina Faso pulled a goal back late on when a cross evaded everyone before Simpore coolly tapped home at the back post.
Teams South Africa: D Keet, B Mkhwanazi, M Mathoho, T Hlatshwayo (Gumede 43rd), T Masilela (Van Heerden 76th), R Letsholonyane (Gamildien 45th), H Kekana, B Zungu (S Tshabalala 65th), D Mathebula (Erasmus 55th), B Parker, S Mthembu (Manyama 45th) Zimbabwe: W Arubi, C Nyadombo, H Zvirekwi (Chipeta 82), F Chindungwe, O Bhasera, W Katsande, D Phiri (Jaure 88th), K Billiat (Songani 90th), K Musona, D Mukamba (Malajila 66th), K Nkhatha (Machapa 94th)
