Warriors beat Mauritius 3-0
THE Warriors got their campaign in the COSAFA Senior Cup Challenge off to a decent start, when they whacked Mauritius at Rufaro Stadium Saturday.Sunday Chidzambwa’s band of Warriors bagged three valuable points and went to bed last night on top of three-team Group B. They will clash with Lesotho at the same venue on Sunday.
Chidzambwa is unpredictable. While his critics gave this team scant chance following his questionable team selection, the coach was over the moon yesterday.“My job is not to silence critics. My job is to select the best team. I selected the best players and they won,” Chidzambwa said after the match.
Chidzambwa said he was pleased with youngsters but “we missed a lot of chances”.Fleet-footed Cuthbert Malajila scored a brace in the 47th and 57th minutes before skipper Method Mwanjali wrapped the match in the 87th minute.Lion-hearted left back Asani Nhongo powered the Warriors with his runs on the left flank and whipped beautiful crosses but to no takers.
The Monomotapa player who was voted the man-of-the-match in the opening match played before a bumper crowd was a thorn in the flesh of the Indian Ocean islanders, who offered no resistance.
Little Tafadzwa Rusike, the wide playmaker also had a good outing in the park roasting Mauritian defence of Jean Eduardo and Charles Content. Chris Semakweri manned the left wing like a true professional — taking on defenders and whipping crosses.
The Warriors were however a wasteful lot and could have scored an avalanche of goals. Evans Gwekwerere who came for injured Nyasha Mushekwi in the 13th minute failed to stamp his authority despite receiving a warm welcome from the crowd, when he was introduced.
The former Moroka Swallows was anonymous yesterday, justifying why Chidzambwa started him on the bench. He took turns to miss the target together with Malajila in the first half of the match.The Warriors had other ideas in the second half when Malajila scored two minutes after the breather. Thabani Kamusoko released the ball to Malajila who hit a volley in the box to beat goalkeeper Aboo Bakar Augustin.
The second goal was worked by Nhongo who wove his way past a cluster of defenders before teeing the ball to Mthulisi Maphosa who headed the ball to Malajila to finish off with his head.The third goal by Mwanjali came from an indirect kick in the box in the 84th minute when Archieford Gutu was fouled. Rusike teed the ball to Mwanjali who hit blistering grounder, which Augustin did not see.
It has been ages since Mauritius last beat the Warriors. The countries have met on seven previous occasions, though never in the COSAFA Senior Challenge, with Zimbabwe winning the last four encounters. Mauritius claimed the first three meetings, the last of their victories coming some 27 years ago
Posted by Sakhile Malaba
on October 18, 2009. Filed under Soccer,Sports.
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