BY HENRY MHARA
BOTSWANA ………………0
ZIMBABWE………….. (1)1
The Warriors last night qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals after producing a gritty performance to beat Botswana in a Group H penultimate qualifier at the Obedi Chilume Stadium in Francistown.
Perfect Chikwende’s solitary goal on 15th minute in his debut in the senior team was all that the visitors needed to record the all-important victory.
The Warriors players went into a frenzy at the final whistle knowing that they had put one hand on the ticket to the finals set for Cameroon in January.
With Zambia battling for a three-all draw against reigning champions Algeria, it sealed the Warriors’ fate.
Coach Zdravko Logarušic was tossed up in the air by his gallant players as the Croat recorded his first victory in charge of the Warriors in seven games. He becomes the first foreigner to lead Zimbabwe to the Afcon finals
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With the victory, Zimbabwe are on eight points in Group H, sealing qualification thanks to Algeria avoiding a defeat against Zambia.
The match against Zambia at the National Sports Stadium on Monday has been rendered a dead rubber. Chipolopolo needed to beat already-qualified Algeria in the other Group H match to take the qualification fight to the last round.
Zimbabwe were missing several stars due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and injuries.
Their preparations were not made easy by arduous travel arrangements which meant the players only took their mandatory COVID-19 tests in the morning on Thursday — delaying kick-off by 30 minutes as results were awaited.
When the match eventually started, both teams seemed to have been affected by the delay. The tempo to the match in the opening minutes was very slow and chances were very few and far between.
But it was Zimbabwe who put their noses upfront on the quarter-hour mark. After they won possession just outside the centre circle, captain Knowledge Musona took an ambitious shot that was parried onto the path of Chikwende who headed in the rebound.
The goal was not only significant in the context of the team’s qualification hopes, but it was also the first time that the Warriors had taken a lead in a game under Logarušic’s reign.
Botswana came back a more determined side as they looked for an equaliser.
However, they were not really troubling goalkeeper Talbert Shumba. Their only shots on target in the second half came from freekicks, which the veteran goalkeeper was able to deal with.
The visitors played the final minutes of the match with their backs behind the wall, but could have wrapped up the match in added time after a counter-attack released substitute Tafadzwa Rusike, who fired straight at the goalkeeper. Evans Rusike pounced on the rebound and put the ball into the back of the net, but the effort was ruled for offside.
Teams
Botswana: K Dambe, M Gaolaolwe, S Mathumo, O Ratanang, T Ditlhokwe, B Gaogangwe, K Kebaikanye, T Kgamanyane, O Makgantai, F Setsile, T Molebatsi (T Gabadibolaye, 64’)
Zimbabwe: T Shumba, G Chimwemwe, J Dzingai, T Hadebe, O Karuru, T Kamusoko, K Mahachi (B Ncube, 87’), P Chikwende (T Rusike, 87’), T Dzvukamanja (A Mudimu, 90’), K Musona (E Rusike, 87’)
Follow Henry on Twitter @ henrymhara
