ZAMBIA . . . . . (1) 1 ZIMBABWE . . . . .0 (Zambia qualify for the African Women Championship (AWC) finals on a 2-0 aggregate score).
HENRY MHARA IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
THERE was more heartache for Zimbabwean football inside a week after the Mighty Warriors were sent crashing out of the AWC football finals by hosts Zambia at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka yesterday.
Needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg played in Harare a fortnight ago, an ill-prepared Zimbabwe found themselves further back in the 37th minute when Mary Mwakapila tapped home after a mistake by Nokuthula Ndlovu, who had given away possession to the dangerous Kabange Mupopo.
There were reports that the Mighty Warriors players once again boycotted training on arrival here on Thursday and on the following day over their allowances. The Mighty Warriors’ woes were even more pronounced when the players emerged from the dressing room wearing the Warriors’ kit. Honestly!
However, despite the problems, the players gave it their all.
They started well, enjoying plenty of possession and creating the better chances especially in the second half, but the hosts did enough to protect their goal to win the tie 2-0 on aggregate scoreline.
The result means Zambia qualify for the AWC finals for the very first time while the Mighty Warriors’ decade-long absence at the showpiece was extended. Mighty Warriors coach Rosemary Mugadza bemoaned her side’s lack of a cutting edge upfront.
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She made five changes to the team that started in Harare.
Berita Kabwe and Rhoda Jongoti were handed their first senior team caps, replacing Nobuhle Majika and Rutendo Makore respectively.
Talent Mandaza and Rudo Neshamba started ahead of Emmaculate Msipa and Kudakwashe Bhasopo while the final change was a forced one.
Mavis Chirandu was in for the injured Ruvimbo Mutyavaviri, and that means Nokuthula Ndlovu started at the left-back position.
Chasing a 1-0 score from the first leg, the Mighty Warriors started like a team on a mission to upset the hosts and Neshamba could have given her side the much-needed goal, but headed just wide on the 15th minute.
The Mighty Warriors thought they had found that crucial goal on the 23rd minute when Kabwe hit the nets, but Angolan referee Marximina Bernardo ruled out the goal adjudjing that Felistas Muzongondi had controlled the ball with her hand in the build-up to the goal.
Zimbabwe had a strong shout for a penalty on the hour mark when a Zambia defender appeared to have blocked Muzongondi’s goal-bound shot using her hand. They continued to throw bodies forward, but were hit on the counter-attack.
Ndlovu dilly-dallied in possession and was dispossessed by Zambia’s number 11 Mupopo, who sprinted into the box before crossing the ball to Mwakapila for an easy tap-in.
Makore was introduced at halftime and quickly got involved, missing a headed opportunity on 51 minutes.
Defender Melody Musasa missed another free header moments later as the Mighty Warriors players took turns to spurn chances.
Muzongondi and Merjury Nyaumwe tried their luck from range just after the hour mark as desperation started to show for the visitors.
Zambia compounded the Mighty Warriors’ woes by employing delaying tactics.
But Zimbabwe created good chances to score the two needed goals — Neshamba heading straight at goalkeeper Hazel Nali before forcing another good save from the goalkeeper, who was the busiest of the two goalies.
Zambia almost got the second goal deep into injury time when Mupopo broke again on the counter, but Zimbabwe goalkeeper Chido Dzingirai did enough to narrow the angle to block the effort.
Team Zimbabwe: C Dzingirai, B Kabwe (R Makore, 46’), N Ndlovu, T Mandaza, M Chirandu, F Muzongondi (E Msipa, 82’), M Nyaumwe, R Neshamba, P Mujuru, R Jongoti (N Majika, 69’), M Musasa.
