The Sunday News
Petros Kausiyo in Rubavu, Rwanda
Zimbabwe………………………………………………………0
Mali…………………………………………………………. (0) 1
ZIMBABWE coach Callisto Pasuwa reckoned that his Warriors had learnt the hard way as they crashed out of the African Nations Championships after once again paying dearly for missed chances to fall to Mali at Umuganda Stadium yesterday.
The Warriors were desperate for points in this Group D encounter after losing their opening match against Zambia at the same venue last Tuesday.
But as they did against Chipolopolo, the Warriors dominated the game but still came second best after Mali midfielder Moussa Sissoko ghosted in from the blind side to side-foot the ball home n the 81st minute off a free-kick from the left by Lassa Samake.
Zimbabwe conceded in similar fashion in their match against Zambia and Pasuwa attributed that to inexperience in key stages of the game and said “football’s cruel side had manifested itself on his charges’’.
“Football is a very cruel game and just like in the first game we got a number of good chances and we failed to put away any. They get just one chance from a free-kick and they score. It has been a learning curve for these players who are mostly Under-23 and unfortunately they have learnt the hard way. We just have to motivate them again so that they can finish strongly against Uganda.
“Unlike in 2014 where we had a lot of senior and experienced players we brought a younger team here to expose them and I think they have seen it now and they have got some experience. I think we had done our homework on Mali and we brought in a lot of young and energetic players to close them down and press them and I think we did that well. It’s just the luck of converting our chances which was not on our side,’’ Pasuwa said.
With two defeats by identical margins, the Warriors are out of the race for a quarter-final place and will now face Uganda on Tuesday for mere pride as they can only finish with three points which will not be enough to take them through.
The Warriors remained rooted at the bottom of Group D without a point while Mali who drew 2-2 with Uganda are on four points and have everything to play for in their final match against Zambia.
Pasuwa told the media soon after his team’s defeat that his largely youthful side had endured a tough learning curve about the need to punish teams in the game. Zimbabwe once again got off to a nervous start hurrying their efforts in the first quarter of the match in which neither side threatened goal.
But unlike in the match against Zambia, Pasuwa’s men did not take long to come out of their shell and in the 16th minute Edmore Chirambadare swept into the box from the left channel but his low cross found no takers. After 23 minutes Chirambadare and Ronald Chitiyo twice came charging into the box but the final ball let them down.
Then the game’s first real opportunity arrived after 27 minutes with Roderick Mutuma, preferred ahead of Francisco Zekumbawire in attack, shaking his head in disbelief after his diving header rebounded off the upright post with the Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, a beaten man. It was a great chance lost and Mutuma who had got to the end of a Chitiyo cross was left cursing his luck.
Once they found their way into the game the Warriors were clearly the better side on the afternoon but as has been the tale in their group matches, they could not turn that dominance into the breakthrough they badly needed.
And nine minutes from time, they paid a huge price as Sissoko who plays for Onze Creatures punished them for a lapse in concentration.
Until that goal, The Eagles who showed so much pace and zeal against Uganda had not arrived at the match and had barely tested Warriors goalkeeper Tatenda Mukuruva.
Their coach Djibril Dame acknowledged that his side had played second fiddle but noted that luck and precision had worked for them.
“Zimbabwe is a tough team and we have always struggled to beat them. Football changes all the time we had a good game against Uganda but we had a difficult game today. In football you also need luck,’’ Drame said.
In the 38th minute Chitiyo was given space in the box but he shot tamely on the turn.
The Warriors upped their tempo in the second period but they fluffed all the chances that came their way with substitute William Manondo guilty of the biggest miss in the 75th minute.
Harare City forward Manondo, who had come on for Chirambadare in the 61st minute found himself all alone in the box and on side as he got to the end of a cross by his captain Hardlife Zvirekwi.
Somehow Manondo lost the presence of mind and instead of connecting first time past an advancing Diarra, he tried to control first and made of mess of it with a heavy touch that bounced into the arms of the Mali goalkeeper.
Six minutes later the Warriors were reminded harshly about the need to take even a half chance when the 21-year-old Sissoko struck.
Although the Warriors later threw in Knox Mutizwa and Zekumbawire to add fire power the Malians defended their goal jealously to send Zimbabwe crashing out. Pasuwa made four changes to the team that started in the defeat by Zambia with the 44-year-old gaffer opting for Dynamos goalkeeper Mukuruva ahead of Donovan Bernard between the posts.
The Warriors coach also threw in FC Platinum winger Marshall Mudehwe on the right channel and Nqobizitha Masuku to partner the gritty Farai Madhanhanga in the dual central midfield roles.
Lanky Dynamos striker Mutuma was employed as the target man replacing Zekumbawire with new Harare City forward Chitiyo operating just behind him.
Mali who twice fought from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw against Uganda made just one change to the side that featured in that opening game Drame bringing on Stade Malien De Bamako striker Mamadou Coulibaly for Abdoulaye Diarra.
The Eagles also made a tactical switch with Drame opting to go at the Warriors with two out and out forwards — Sekou Koita who switched from central midfield and Diarra.
Meanwhile in the other match of the group Zambia beat Uganda 1-0
Teams:
Zimbabwe: Tatenda Mukuruva, Hardlife Zvirekwi, Ocean Mushure, Stephen Makatuka, Lawrence Mhlanga, Nqobizitha Masuku, Farai Madhanhanga, Marshal Mudehwe, Ronald Chitiyo K. Mutizwa 84th minute), Rodreck Mutuma (F. Zekumbawire 71st minute), Edmore Chirambadare (W. Manondo 61st minute).
Mali: Djigui Diarra, Abdoulaye Traore (N. Koume 61st minute), Assoko Hamed Marius, Diarra Sekou, Yves Bissouma (A. Dieng 58th minute), Hamidou Sinayoko, Mamadou Coulibaly, Lassana Samake, Moussa Sissoko, Abdoul Karim Dante, Sekou Koita.
