South Africa under 23 beat Zimbabwe

South Africa  (1) 2 - 0  Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Under 23 soccer team on Saturday lost 2 nill to South Africa's U23.

Zimbabwe now need to beat Amaglug-glug by three clear goals in the return leg, slated  for Rufaro in a fortnight,  to book  a ticket to the continental games set for Mozambique in September after a Bongani Ndulula brace gave the hosts victory.

On a day that temperatures fluctuated between eight and nine degrees Celsius very little went right for the Young Warriors.

Playmaker Archford Gutu was ruled ineligible to play after South Africa produced correspondence from Caf highlighting that the exciting midfielder was still suspended following a red card he received away in Botswana in the last round.

Interestingly, Caf also copied the letter to Zifa but no one at 53 Livingstone Avenue bothered to raise the red flag as Gutu spent two weeks in camp and even made it into the final 18-man squad that arrived 24 hours before the match. Coach Friday Phiri will have to make do without Devon Chafa for the return leg set for Rufaro in two weeks' time as the defensive midfielder was shown a straight red card by referee Joshua Bondo for a crude tackle into the groin of Bongolethu Jayiya late into the game. Young Warriors goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda stood between South Africa and another goal harvest while lone striker Simba

Sithole rarely had a sniff as a combination of tight marking and a poor supply froze him out of the game.
Phiri's game plan was to suffocate the free-scoring Amaglug-glug hence the 4-5-1 formation that had Sithole being deployed as the lone gunman while the Rusikes ' Tafadzwa and Mathew ' lined up down the wings, Chafa and his Dynamos teammate Timire Mamvura pairing in the defensive midfield role with Abbas Amidu just in front of them. Qadr Amini, Lincoln Zvasiya, the tough-tackling Obey Mwerahari and

Knowledge Machona provided cover for Sibanda. And it looked to be going according to plan until the 39th minute when Zvasiya went gaga.
Zvasiya's flimsy header back to Sibanda fell invitingly into the path of Ndulula, who held his nerve to beat an advancing Sibanda for his 14th goal in as many appearances for Amaglug-glug. Zimbabwe could have restored parity a minute later but Boalefa Pule pulled a stunning save to palm Mathew Rusike's stinger for a corner before reacting swiftly when Sithole looked to pounce on a an Amidu cross.

During his half-time pep talk Phiri urged his men to take the game to Amaglug-glug.
They did not.

Instead it was South Africa who went a gear up with Phumelele Bhunye shooting wide after being sent past an injured Zvasiya by a Sibusiso Vilakazi reverse pass. In a bid to turn the tide, Phiri brought in Ngoni Maviri and Joel Ngodzo for the faltering pair of Tafadzwa Rusike and Abbas Amidu but it got no better for the Young Warriors.  It got worse on 89 minutes as Ndulula found himself at the end of swift counter-attack ' crafted after Amini lost possession on the overlap ' to claim his brace with a simple tap-in.

Teams
South Africa: B. Pule, D. Mampuru, S. Mxoyana, G. Shitolo, T. Sangweni, S. Vilakazi, T. Ntshumayelo, B. Jayiya (A. Ngoma, 90mins),  B. Ndulula, P. Bhengu (R. Magalela, 59mins), T. Zwane.
Zimbabwe: A. Sibanda, O. Mwerahari, Q. Amini, L. Zvasiya (M. Kadzola, 57mins), K. Machona, T. Mamvura, B. Amidu (N. Maviri, 61mins), M. Rusike, T. Rusike (J. Ngodzo.  65mins), D. Chafa, S. Sithole
Referee: Joshua Bondo (Botswana).