News / National
Zimbabwe Young Warriors' AFCON dream crushed by Zambia
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Zimbabwe 2 - 2 Zambia
(Zambia won 6-5 on penalties)
Zimbabwe's Young Warriors' hopes of qualifying for next year's CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were dashed in a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Zambia in the COSAFA qualifier semi-final in Mozambique yesterday. The closely contested match ended 2-2 in regulation time, but Zambia ultimately advanced after Zimbabwe faltered in the penalty shootout.
The fixture at the ABB Stadium in Matola was always going to be a tough one, with Zambia, a perennial rival, determined to make the most of their semi-final lifeline. Despite sneaking into the last four as the best runner-up, Zambia stunned the Young Warriors with two early goals within the first 25 minutes, setting up an intense match.
Zambia's Mumba Mwila opened the scoring in the 8th minute, capitalizing on an error from Zimbabwe goalkeeper Joseph Kaunda, who failed to clear a parried ball. David Simukonda added a second in the 25th minute, leaving the Young Warriors with a mountain to climb.
Zimbabwe, however, showed their resilience, coming back strongly in the second half. Substitute Prince Ndlovu became the hero for the Young Warriors, scoring a spectacular overhead kick in the 62nd minute to get Zimbabwe back into the game. A penalty miss by Nisbet Muzenda in the 72nd minute was followed by Ndlovu pouncing on the rebound to level the score and complete his brace.
With the match deadlocked at 2-2 after regulation time, penalties were needed to decide the outcome. Unfortunately, Zimbabwe's hopes were dashed when Ndlovu and Shawn Mzinde missed crucial penalties, allowing Zambia to book their spot in the final.
Zimbabwe coach Simon Marange was emotional after the match, praising his players for their fighting spirit. "I am proud of the boys. They gave everything for the country. They went through blood, sweat, and tears on the pitch and we can only be proud," Marange said.
He acknowledged Zambia's dominance in the first half but credited his team for the tactical adjustments that saw them claw their way back into the game. "It was a game of two halves. They completely dominated the first half. We made some changes and managed to create chances and come back into the game," Marange said.
Zambian coach Boyd Mulwanda also praised his players for their resilience and acknowledged Zimbabwe's spirited fightback. "It wasn't an easy game for us, but the boys put up a very good fight. Zimbabwe came back strong, but we managed to hold on," Mulwanda said.
With the loss, Zimbabwe's dream of reaching the CAF Under-20 AFCON and potentially the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile is over. Zambia and South Africa, who will meet in the COSAFA final, are now set to represent the COSAFA region at next year's AFCON.
Despite the disappointment, Marange remained positive about the future of Zimbabwe's youth football, expressing gratitude to the football association for their support and hopeful that the team's performance would inspire more investment in young talent.
(Zambia won 6-5 on penalties)
Zimbabwe's Young Warriors' hopes of qualifying for next year's CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were dashed in a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Zambia in the COSAFA qualifier semi-final in Mozambique yesterday. The closely contested match ended 2-2 in regulation time, but Zambia ultimately advanced after Zimbabwe faltered in the penalty shootout.
The fixture at the ABB Stadium in Matola was always going to be a tough one, with Zambia, a perennial rival, determined to make the most of their semi-final lifeline. Despite sneaking into the last four as the best runner-up, Zambia stunned the Young Warriors with two early goals within the first 25 minutes, setting up an intense match.
Zambia's Mumba Mwila opened the scoring in the 8th minute, capitalizing on an error from Zimbabwe goalkeeper Joseph Kaunda, who failed to clear a parried ball. David Simukonda added a second in the 25th minute, leaving the Young Warriors with a mountain to climb.
Zimbabwe, however, showed their resilience, coming back strongly in the second half. Substitute Prince Ndlovu became the hero for the Young Warriors, scoring a spectacular overhead kick in the 62nd minute to get Zimbabwe back into the game. A penalty miss by Nisbet Muzenda in the 72nd minute was followed by Ndlovu pouncing on the rebound to level the score and complete his brace.
With the match deadlocked at 2-2 after regulation time, penalties were needed to decide the outcome. Unfortunately, Zimbabwe's hopes were dashed when Ndlovu and Shawn Mzinde missed crucial penalties, allowing Zambia to book their spot in the final.
Zimbabwe coach Simon Marange was emotional after the match, praising his players for their fighting spirit. "I am proud of the boys. They gave everything for the country. They went through blood, sweat, and tears on the pitch and we can only be proud," Marange said.
He acknowledged Zambia's dominance in the first half but credited his team for the tactical adjustments that saw them claw their way back into the game. "It was a game of two halves. They completely dominated the first half. We made some changes and managed to create chances and come back into the game," Marange said.
Zambian coach Boyd Mulwanda also praised his players for their resilience and acknowledged Zimbabwe's spirited fightback. "It wasn't an easy game for us, but the boys put up a very good fight. Zimbabwe came back strong, but we managed to hold on," Mulwanda said.
With the loss, Zimbabwe's dream of reaching the CAF Under-20 AFCON and potentially the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile is over. Zambia and South Africa, who will meet in the COSAFA final, are now set to represent the COSAFA region at next year's AFCON.
Despite the disappointment, Marange remained positive about the future of Zimbabwe's youth football, expressing gratitude to the football association for their support and hopeful that the team's performance would inspire more investment in young talent.
Source - The Herald
