Sports / Soccer
Warriors beat the Zebras of Botswana
07 Feb 2013 at 04:56hrs | Views
Zimbabwe 2 - 1 Botswana
THE Warriors overcame the setback of going a goal down to get new coach Klaus Dieter-Pagels' reign off to a positive start following their victory over Botswana in an international friendly soccer match at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.
German coach Pagels introduced his brand of football which emphasises on a short passing game and played with three defenders while deploying five players in midfield.
But the Warriors failed to click in the early stages of the game as the defence of leftback Ocean Mushure, rightback Hardlife Zvirekwi and centreback Gilbert Mapemba failed to fuse with their midfielders.
Pagels elected to play Peter Moyo, Matthew Rusike, Archford Gutu, Denver Mukamba, who was wearing the captain's armband, and Silas Songani as his midfielders while Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona played upfront.
It was instead Botswana who stunned the small crowd when Township Rollers forward Tebago Sembowa beat Mushure on the left before crossing to Lemponye Thsirelesto who drilled the ball past Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi from close range in the 4th minute.
However, Zimbabwe rallied from behind when Rusike made a strong run on the right before sending a powerful low cross that the visitors' goalkeeper Noah Maphosa fumbled and Billiat was on hand to tap the ball home in the 18th minutes.
Mukamba then sent the Warriors into the lead in the 25th minute when he beat Maphosa with a thunderbolt, struck from outside the box.
Zimbabwe made several tactical changes at the break when natural centre-back Lincoln Zvasiya came in for Mapemba while Nicholas Guyo added some grit in midfield, coming in as a defensive linkman as he earned his first Warriors cap.
Highlanders' wingmaster, Masimba Mambare, came in for Songani with 15 minutes remaining.
Warriors coach Pagel said he was impressed with the overall performance of his charges and is hopeful of a bright future.
"I was not very much concerned about the result but with the performance of the team.
"I am also happy with the result but, like I said before, this is the beginning and we are building a new team and that means we have to come in with new players.
"The idea is to train these young players for the future," said Pagels.
The German coach wants to introduce what he calls "tika-taka" football which is built around a short passing game and building the attack from the goalkeeper in one-two-three touches.
"The type of football that I am introducing is that they should be no long and wide balls from the goalkeeper.
"I noticed that there were no long and wide balls today and I am happy with this.
"The team played the ball around in midfield and defence," he said.
Zimbabwe was using the match to prepare for the World Cup qualifier against Egypt next month and Pagels feels there is need for more practice matches before going to Cairo for the crunch match against the Pharaohs.
"Now we have to come up with more training sessions, to play the ball forward and create more scoring chances.
"We had only four training sessions with these guys and that was over two days.
"So, I am really happy with the (overall) performance of the team," he said.
While he admitted his worry at letting the early goal, Pagels believes his new-look squad never gave up.
"In football you are worried sometimes but we had to re-organise and we did very well after that," said Pagels after the game.
Botswana coach Stanley Tshosane said he was also rebuilding a new team and had used the nucleus of their Under-23 team.
"I am not making any excuses on the performance of the team. These boys are just graduating from the Under-23 team and eight of them were playing for the national team for the first time.
"They had never worn the Zebras' shirt but unfortunately these boys never had more than two training sessions.
"We did not want to reveal our shortcomings before the game but yesterday (on Tuesday) we failed to hold our first training session because of the rains at Rufaro Stadium," said Tshosane.
Like Pagels, the Zebras' coach was also confident of a bright future.
"We created a lot of scoring chances and could have come up with three clear goals and it was also unfortunate that we left two of our tops strikers at home.
"So we only had one good striker and he was just coming from a knee injury and that's why he was struggling.
"But above everything, our players gave their best when playing against the Warriors who were very mobile and very good technically.
"At least I have picked something that I can work on and that is what I am happy about," he said.
Botswana are going to play Ethiopia in Addis Ababa next month in a World Cup qualifier.
Teams
Zimbabwe: W Arubi, O Mushure, H Zvirekwi, D Mukamba (R Chitiyo 50th minute), K Billiat (S Sithole 75th min) G Mapemba (L Zvasiya 46th min), P Moyo (N Guyo 46th min), M Rusike (A Amidu 46th min), S Songani (M Mambare 75th min),
Botswana: N Maphosa (Modiri 75th min) M Thuma, P Lekgari, T Sembowa (Motseope 70th) M Sembowa, N Letselathlebe (O Ncenga 46th min) O Natho, M Ohliwe, L. Tshireletso (G Moyana 46th min), A Sembowa (L Galenamothlale 75th min), J Mugorosi.
THE Warriors overcame the setback of going a goal down to get new coach Klaus Dieter-Pagels' reign off to a positive start following their victory over Botswana in an international friendly soccer match at Rufaro Stadium yesterday.
German coach Pagels introduced his brand of football which emphasises on a short passing game and played with three defenders while deploying five players in midfield.
But the Warriors failed to click in the early stages of the game as the defence of leftback Ocean Mushure, rightback Hardlife Zvirekwi and centreback Gilbert Mapemba failed to fuse with their midfielders.
Pagels elected to play Peter Moyo, Matthew Rusike, Archford Gutu, Denver Mukamba, who was wearing the captain's armband, and Silas Songani as his midfielders while Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona played upfront.
It was instead Botswana who stunned the small crowd when Township Rollers forward Tebago Sembowa beat Mushure on the left before crossing to Lemponye Thsirelesto who drilled the ball past Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi from close range in the 4th minute.
However, Zimbabwe rallied from behind when Rusike made a strong run on the right before sending a powerful low cross that the visitors' goalkeeper Noah Maphosa fumbled and Billiat was on hand to tap the ball home in the 18th minutes.
Mukamba then sent the Warriors into the lead in the 25th minute when he beat Maphosa with a thunderbolt, struck from outside the box.
Zimbabwe made several tactical changes at the break when natural centre-back Lincoln Zvasiya came in for Mapemba while Nicholas Guyo added some grit in midfield, coming in as a defensive linkman as he earned his first Warriors cap.
Highlanders' wingmaster, Masimba Mambare, came in for Songani with 15 minutes remaining.
Warriors coach Pagel said he was impressed with the overall performance of his charges and is hopeful of a bright future.
"I was not very much concerned about the result but with the performance of the team.
"I am also happy with the result but, like I said before, this is the beginning and we are building a new team and that means we have to come in with new players.
"The idea is to train these young players for the future," said Pagels.
The German coach wants to introduce what he calls "tika-taka" football which is built around a short passing game and building the attack from the goalkeeper in one-two-three touches.
"The type of football that I am introducing is that they should be no long and wide balls from the goalkeeper.
"I noticed that there were no long and wide balls today and I am happy with this.
"The team played the ball around in midfield and defence," he said.
"Now we have to come up with more training sessions, to play the ball forward and create more scoring chances.
"We had only four training sessions with these guys and that was over two days.
"So, I am really happy with the (overall) performance of the team," he said.
While he admitted his worry at letting the early goal, Pagels believes his new-look squad never gave up.
"In football you are worried sometimes but we had to re-organise and we did very well after that," said Pagels after the game.
Botswana coach Stanley Tshosane said he was also rebuilding a new team and had used the nucleus of their Under-23 team.
"I am not making any excuses on the performance of the team. These boys are just graduating from the Under-23 team and eight of them were playing for the national team for the first time.
"They had never worn the Zebras' shirt but unfortunately these boys never had more than two training sessions.
"We did not want to reveal our shortcomings before the game but yesterday (on Tuesday) we failed to hold our first training session because of the rains at Rufaro Stadium," said Tshosane.
Like Pagels, the Zebras' coach was also confident of a bright future.
"We created a lot of scoring chances and could have come up with three clear goals and it was also unfortunate that we left two of our tops strikers at home.
"So we only had one good striker and he was just coming from a knee injury and that's why he was struggling.
"But above everything, our players gave their best when playing against the Warriors who were very mobile and very good technically.
"At least I have picked something that I can work on and that is what I am happy about," he said.
Botswana are going to play Ethiopia in Addis Ababa next month in a World Cup qualifier.
Teams
Zimbabwe: W Arubi, O Mushure, H Zvirekwi, D Mukamba (R Chitiyo 50th minute), K Billiat (S Sithole 75th min) G Mapemba (L Zvasiya 46th min), P Moyo (N Guyo 46th min), M Rusike (A Amidu 46th min), S Songani (M Mambare 75th min),
Botswana: N Maphosa (Modiri 75th min) M Thuma, P Lekgari, T Sembowa (Motseope 70th) M Sembowa, N Letselathlebe (O Ncenga 46th min) O Natho, M Ohliwe, L. Tshireletso (G Moyana 46th min), A Sembowa (L Galenamothlale 75th min), J Mugorosi.
Source - TH
