THE last time the Young Warriors went to Yaounde, Cameroon, for a second leg match of the All-Africa Games football qualifier, they were given little chance of progressing as they were taking just a slender 1-0 advantage to West Africa.
BY WELLINGTON TONI
Cameroon were the record cup holders and were highly fancied to go through, but a 57th minute penalty by Blessing Moyo ensured a draw and with that a 2-1 aggregate win that sent the Young Warriors to the finals to be staged in Congo-Brazzaville from September 4-19.
Fast-forward to May 31, the penalty luck had struck again.
This time, it was Ronald Pfumbidzayi scoring nine minutes from time to ensure the Young Warriors finished the match against Swaziland in Mbabane level on 2-2 and through on the away goals rule after the first leg, last week at Rufaro, had ended goalless.
Can this be coach Kalisto Pasuwa’s luck or a high fighting spirit from a talented group of boys who have overcome all the problems to make names for themselves?
The talent is there, certainly and the fact that 48 hours before the match they did not know how they would travel did not dampen their spirits and again they were victorious.
Swaziland are good losers.
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Yesterday, they provided a bus for the Young Warriors from Mbabane to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to catch their 1630hrs connecting flight back to Harare.
The Young Warriors landed in Harare last night.
Reports from the Times of Swaziland indicate that the Young Warriors, through skipper Wisdom Mutasa, went into the match looking to upset the apple cart only to fall to a penalty in the 41st minute after Moyo handled in the box.
Malanti Chiefs midfielder Mxolisi Mkhontfo converted from the spot beating Tatenda Mukuruva, who had missed the first leg after his club Dynamos refused to release him and Moyo.
Tino Kadewere drew level at the start of the second half before Muzi Dlamini benefited from a spill by Mukuruva after an Ayanda Kunene shot to give the hosts the lead.
But as luck, or lack of it for Swaziland, would have it, captain Sibusiso Dlamini handled in the 81st minute and was duly sent off, leaving Pfumbidzai to tuck the ball home from the penalty spot and with that a trip to Mzansi next month.
Zimbabwe will now face South Africa, who failed to qualify for the All-Africa Games, in the third and final round of qualifiers for the 2015 Caf Under-23 Championship to be played in Senegal later this year.
The first leg will be played at Rufaro on the weekend of July 17-19, with the return match in South Africa set for the weekend of July 31 to August 2.
Yesterday, South Africa Under-23 coach Owen da Gama told AfricanFootball that Zimbabwe will not be an easy opponent: “I don’t think Zimbabwe will be an easy opponent because we’re playing in Africa and there is no easy opponent in Africa,” he said.
“We’ve done our homework and we know they have experienced and technically-gifted players in their team. The conditions in Africa can sometimes work against you and make things difficult on the pitch so we don’t want to entertain the notion that this is an easy fixture.
“This team is one of the best in the southern hemisphere, we need to respect them — all in all, we’re looking at a fantastic fixture against Zimbabwe.”
Third round fixtures
Gabon vs Mali, Nigeria vs Congo, Côte d’Ivoire vs Zambia, Zimbabwe vs South Africa, Algeria vs Sierra Leone, Egypt vs Uganda, Morocco vs Tunisia.
