Tadious Manyepo in JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
Namibia 0-2 Zimbabwe
THE Mighty Warriors made a giant leap towards securing a Cosafa Women’s Championship semi-final berth after delivering a vintage show in this Group C victory at Dobsonville Stadium yesterday.
With six points in two matches and two points above second-placed Botswana, Shadreck Mlauzi’s charges can finish as the group leaders if they avoid defeat against Botswana in their last pool match tomorrow. Going into yesterday’s game, the Mighty Warriors knew only a victory would pave them the way back in control of the group after Botswana had overtaken them to the summit of the log with an earlier victory of their own over Lesotho.
And the Zimbabweans responded in the best way possible, getting the goals through captain Rudo Neshamba and her deputy Nobukhosi Ncube either side of the break.
“This is the competitiveness that we have been talking about all along. We need to continue on this trajectory. I am impressed with how we carried ourselves in this match,” said Mlauzi.
“It was a very difficult game as we expected it to be. We needed to avoid mistakes in all the departments and be compact.
“We were nearer to flawlessness in the initial stages of the game but we rarely troubled their goalkeeper.
“But I am happy we managed to switch on and got these goals. We now need to remain focused as we need to continue being competitive in this tournament.
“This win is very critical in terms of where we want to be as a team.”
Zimbabwe showed they wanted to play right from kick-off taking the game to their opponents with remarkable authority.
While they enjoyed more possession, they were too patient to pounce and by so doing allowed Namibia an early chance to take the lead.
For once, their midfield of Shyline Dambamuromo, Daisy Kaitano and Edline Mutumbami lapsed on the quarter hour mark and lost the ball. Namibia’s Fiola Vliete sprinted towards goal but was thwarted, in outstanding fashion, by Mighty Warriors goalkeeper and player of the match Cynthia Shonga.
The 23-year-old was once again impressive between the posts with both her hands and feet and the Harare City Queens star deservedly grabbed the Most Valuable Player Award. The 15th minute scare on their goal probably reminded the Zimbabweans that they needed to apply urgency in their forays. They did just that and were a goal up after 18 minutes, Neshamba slicing home after a good exchange of passes between Dambamuromo and Privilege Mupeti.
From then, it was all Zimbabwe and on any other day, they should have stretched their advantage with Christabel Katona, Vimbai Mharadzi, Neshamba and Mupeti all coming close.
The second half started more or less the same as the first had finished with the Mighty Warriors bossing their opponents.
Neshamba, who had a cold game in the opening fixture against Lesotho last Friday brought her A-Game and impressively bullied the Namibia defence which often resorted to fouling her.
And 12 minutes after the restart, she was hacked down at the edge of the box.
Eswatini referee Letticia Viana rightly awarded a freekick.
Upstepped Ncube, (30) who had a good outing throughout the 90 minutes unleashing a howitzer which gave Melissa Matheus, in goals for Namibia no chance.
Mlauzi’s girls should have added more especially after the introduction of Herentals College midfielder Praynance Zvawanda but as they did for most of the match, they wasted the chances.
But this is a team only coming back to international football after a two-year Fifa freeze. This is a team that came here with odds firmly against them but they are proving to be the Zimbabwe everyone in Southern Africa has always known.
Teams
Namibia: Melissa Matheus, Iina Katuta, Eddelsisingh Naris, Twelikondjele Amukoto, Thomalina Adams, Millicent Hikuam, Vijakura Tjingaete(Lorraine Jossob 83rd minute), Ivon Kooper, Memory Ngonda, Juliana Blou, Fiola Vliete (Anna Shikusho 64th minute)
Zimbabwe: Cynthia Shonga, Eunice Chibanda, Purity Mugayi, Vimbai Mharadzi, Nobukhosi Ncube, Daisy Kaitano, Shyline Dambamuromo(Ennet Chemhere 46th minute), Edline Mutumbami, Christable Katona (Maudy Mafuruse 81st minute), Privilege Mupeti(Alice Moyo 81min), Rudo Neshamba (Praynance Zvawanda 73rd minute)
