Sports / Soccer
Zimbabwe Warriors beat Zambia 2-0
10 Aug 2011 at 20:50hrs | Views
Zimbabwe (1) 2
Zambia (0)
Zimbabwe Warriors beat Zambia two goal to none on Wednesday in an International friendly match played at Rufaro Stadium in Harare.
Katsande fired home when he beat the half time whistle to find a breakthrough which the home team could have got as early as the fourth minute.
The Warriors did not take their foot off the pedal in the second stanza and soon after resumption they sealed a deserved win when Billiat, who is Katsande's club mate , made it a Cape Town affair when he guided the ball home off a Quincy Antipas cross, two minutes after the break.
Katsande, who staked a huge claim for a place in Mapeza's starting side when he came on strongly as a second half substitute against Mali at the same venue on June 4, was once again dominant in midfield with a solid show in a central role where he was clearly the Warriors best player on show.
That he found the Warriors breakthrough that broke the Zambian resistance was a fitting reward for the former Highway and Gunners midfielder's industry on the night.
After charming the spectators with his close ball control, power play and incisive passing, Katsande's every touch had been greeted with applause from a good and appreciative crowd of about 15 000.
In scoring his goal, Katsande burst through the middle to meet a fine pass from Edward Sadomba on the right before sending a low shot to the far left corner which beat a diving Kennedy Mweene.
The Zambian first choice, who plies his trade with Free State Stars in South Africa, tried to tip the ball away but Katsande had applied the right power to his low shot and there was no stopping the effort from finding its mark.
The Warriors were enjoying plenty of possession in the opening half but failing to turn their dominance into many goals with the home team either shooting high, wide or straight at Mweene.
As early as the fourth minute, Zimbabwe had sounded warning shots of their intentions when FC Platinum centre back Daniel Veremu threaded a neat pass to Katsande whose low shot forced Mweene to punch the ball back into play.
The ball fell onto the path of an on-rushing Sadomba but the Al Hilal talisman, playing as a lone striker, struck the rebound straight at the legs of the sprawling Zambian goalkeeper and the ball flew out for a corner.
But if Chipolopolo were harbouring any thoughts of staging a second half comeback, they were quickly extinguished when Billiat buried his effort from close range after the lanky forward latched onto a good delivery from Antipas who had made a storming run down the right channel.
After that goal the Warriors continued to confidently stroke the ball around with veteran Tinashe Nengomasha, Ovidy Karuru, Katsande, Antipas and Billiat combining well to keep the supply line open.
The Warriors fine showing reduced a Chipolopolo side that had some TP Mazembe players and a host of South African-based internationals look very ordinary.
Even the watching duo of Kaizer Chiefs Football Manager Bobby Motaung and Amakhosi assistant coach Donald "Ace Khuse must have been pleased with what they saw.
Antipas who plies his trade in Denmark will also probably on reflection realise that he should also have left Rufaro with a goal had he been more precise in front of goal.
His best chance to score arrived in the 25th minute when the former Motor Action winger ran into the box to meet with a tantalising Tapiwa Khumbuyani cross but Antipas just failed to make the right connection and his effort just sailed wide.
With Warriors goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini virtually off duty, Zambia's fist real chance only arrived after 36 minutes via the effort of Rainford Kalaba on the left flank.
Kalaba caught the Warriors defence flat but he drove his angled shot high.
The Zambians were the first to wring some changes in the second period as they sought some urgency into their game but with chief striker Collins Mbesuma kept under wraps by skipper Method
Mwanjali and Daniel Veremu, there was very little the visitors did to cause anxious moments for the Warriors.
Mapeza will also take some great satisfaction from the fact that his charges did not lose their rhythm even after he made his own changes and gave a run in to the quintet of Eric Mudzingwa, Benjamin
Marere, Charles Sibanda, Archieford Gutu and Lincoln Zvasiya.
The five home-based Warriors came in for Nengomasha, Antipas, Sadomba, Karuru and Katsande.
Mapeza will however, take his charges to task for not perfecting their final ball as they opened up the Chipolopolo defence that included their skipper Kampamba Chintu, Francis Kasonde, Stoppilla Sunzu and Emmanuel Mbola.
But after yet another sweet victory at Rufaro, the Warriors are certain to continue with their rise on the Fifa world rankings.
Teams:
Zimbabwe
T. Kapini (W. Arubi 83rd minute), T. Khumbuyani, V. Nyoni, D. Veremu, M. Mwanjali, W. Katsande (L. Zvasiya 85th minute), T. Nengomasha (E. Mudzingwa 71st minute), Q. Antipas (B. Marere 72nd minute), E. Sadomba (C. Sibanda 81st minute), O. Karuru (A. Gutu 77th minute), K. Billiat
Zambia
K. Mweene (K. Kakonje 46th minute) E. Bola, S. Sunzu, K. Chintu, T. Nyirenda (K. Mudenda 71st minute) , R. Kalaba, N. Chivuta, F. Kasonde (Mulilo 78th minute), C. Mbesuma, A. Mukuka, G. Singuluma.
Zambia (0)
Zimbabwe Warriors beat Zambia two goal to none on Wednesday in an International friendly match played at Rufaro Stadium in Harare.
Katsande fired home when he beat the half time whistle to find a breakthrough which the home team could have got as early as the fourth minute.
The Warriors did not take their foot off the pedal in the second stanza and soon after resumption they sealed a deserved win when Billiat, who is Katsande's club mate , made it a Cape Town affair when he guided the ball home off a Quincy Antipas cross, two minutes after the break.
Katsande, who staked a huge claim for a place in Mapeza's starting side when he came on strongly as a second half substitute against Mali at the same venue on June 4, was once again dominant in midfield with a solid show in a central role where he was clearly the Warriors best player on show.
That he found the Warriors breakthrough that broke the Zambian resistance was a fitting reward for the former Highway and Gunners midfielder's industry on the night.
After charming the spectators with his close ball control, power play and incisive passing, Katsande's every touch had been greeted with applause from a good and appreciative crowd of about 15 000.
In scoring his goal, Katsande burst through the middle to meet a fine pass from Edward Sadomba on the right before sending a low shot to the far left corner which beat a diving Kennedy Mweene.
The Zambian first choice, who plies his trade with Free State Stars in South Africa, tried to tip the ball away but Katsande had applied the right power to his low shot and there was no stopping the effort from finding its mark.
The Warriors were enjoying plenty of possession in the opening half but failing to turn their dominance into many goals with the home team either shooting high, wide or straight at Mweene.
As early as the fourth minute, Zimbabwe had sounded warning shots of their intentions when FC Platinum centre back Daniel Veremu threaded a neat pass to Katsande whose low shot forced Mweene to punch the ball back into play.
The ball fell onto the path of an on-rushing Sadomba but the Al Hilal talisman, playing as a lone striker, struck the rebound straight at the legs of the sprawling Zambian goalkeeper and the ball flew out for a corner.
But if Chipolopolo were harbouring any thoughts of staging a second half comeback, they were quickly extinguished when Billiat buried his effort from close range after the lanky forward latched onto a good delivery from Antipas who had made a storming run down the right channel.
After that goal the Warriors continued to confidently stroke the ball around with veteran Tinashe Nengomasha, Ovidy Karuru, Katsande, Antipas and Billiat combining well to keep the supply line open.
The Warriors fine showing reduced a Chipolopolo side that had some TP Mazembe players and a host of South African-based internationals look very ordinary.
Even the watching duo of Kaizer Chiefs Football Manager Bobby Motaung and Amakhosi assistant coach Donald "Ace Khuse must have been pleased with what they saw.
Antipas who plies his trade in Denmark will also probably on reflection realise that he should also have left Rufaro with a goal had he been more precise in front of goal.
His best chance to score arrived in the 25th minute when the former Motor Action winger ran into the box to meet with a tantalising Tapiwa Khumbuyani cross but Antipas just failed to make the right connection and his effort just sailed wide.
With Warriors goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini virtually off duty, Zambia's fist real chance only arrived after 36 minutes via the effort of Rainford Kalaba on the left flank.
Kalaba caught the Warriors defence flat but he drove his angled shot high.
The Zambians were the first to wring some changes in the second period as they sought some urgency into their game but with chief striker Collins Mbesuma kept under wraps by skipper Method
Mwanjali and Daniel Veremu, there was very little the visitors did to cause anxious moments for the Warriors.
Mapeza will also take some great satisfaction from the fact that his charges did not lose their rhythm even after he made his own changes and gave a run in to the quintet of Eric Mudzingwa, Benjamin
Marere, Charles Sibanda, Archieford Gutu and Lincoln Zvasiya.
The five home-based Warriors came in for Nengomasha, Antipas, Sadomba, Karuru and Katsande.
Mapeza will however, take his charges to task for not perfecting their final ball as they opened up the Chipolopolo defence that included their skipper Kampamba Chintu, Francis Kasonde, Stoppilla Sunzu and Emmanuel Mbola.
But after yet another sweet victory at Rufaro, the Warriors are certain to continue with their rise on the Fifa world rankings.
Teams:
Zimbabwe
T. Kapini (W. Arubi 83rd minute), T. Khumbuyani, V. Nyoni, D. Veremu, M. Mwanjali, W. Katsande (L. Zvasiya 85th minute), T. Nengomasha (E. Mudzingwa 71st minute), Q. Antipas (B. Marere 72nd minute), E. Sadomba (C. Sibanda 81st minute), O. Karuru (A. Gutu 77th minute), K. Billiat
Zambia
K. Mweene (K. Kakonje 46th minute) E. Bola, S. Sunzu, K. Chintu, T. Nyirenda (K. Mudenda 71st minute) , R. Kalaba, N. Chivuta, F. Kasonde (Mulilo 78th minute), C. Mbesuma, A. Mukuka, G. Singuluma.
Source - The Herald
