The Sunday Mail
Tadious Manyepo recently in FRANCISTOWN, Botswana
WARRIORS coach Zdravko “Loga’’ Logarusic is a relieved man.
Of course one would not expect him to remain tense after completing an historic feat by becoming the first foreign coach to lead Zimbabwe to the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.
But, that is not the only reason the Croat is happy.
After sealing Nations Cup qualification with a 1-0 win over Botswana at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown on Thursday night, Loga picked a major positive.
His goalkeeping crisis could be over.
Since his appointment to the helm of the Warriors technical team, Logarusic has had a lot of soul-searching in his bid to fix the goalkeeping conundrum.
In the six games he took charge of the Warriors before the Botswana match, Loga had used six different goalkeepers.
But, with the same disappointing outcome.
Elvis Chipezeze, Ariel Sibanda, Simba Chinani, Nelson Chadya and Talbert Shumba had all been given a chance.
It is Shumba, however, out of the lot who has had some decent performances between the sticks and Loga assigned him to the post against the Zebras.
The giant Nkana goalkeeper erected a huge hurdle and his commanding power from that position left the Botswana strikers biting their nails as Zimbabwe cruised to a crucial victory which would earn them a third successive appearance at the African football showpiece on yet another eventful night for the continental game.
After the match, the former Chapungu goalminder revealed his satisfaction at having kept a clean sheet for the Warriors.
“I am very happy to have kept a clean sheet in the team’s unwavering bid to secure a berth at the AFCON.
“I am happy not because I performed well but because the team did well as a unit.
“You could actually tell from the body language that everyone was ready and raring to go. Of course our focus was a bit distracted by the prolonged delay in the availing of the Covid-19 results but we showed maturity.
“The leadership including the coach and all members of the technical team did a fantastic job in trying to manage our mentality.
“We didn’t do a proper warm-up and that could have affected us a lot but it was never an issue when the game started.
“I haven’t earned a lot of national team caps but I was definitely one of the senior players in this team and I would like to commend how the youngsters reacted.
“This is my first time to play a crucial role in helping the team qualify for the AFCON and I believe that will motivate me to do more going forward. The good thing is the team played well and qualified.
“I tell you, the match was tense and despite playing before an empty stadium, we could feel the heat but we were just resilient.”
Shumba made five crucial saves including late on in the match to keep his first clean sheet in these qualifiers.
“The home side came at us and on more than four occasions they came close to breaching us. I would like to thank God I managed to make those crucial saves.
“Once I made those saves, especially towards the end of the match, I knew we were on our way to wrapping up the three points. All players did well in all departments. I was impressed with the way the team fought for each other. The chase-back was out of this world and the way we also starved our opponents of the ball was awesome.”
Loga, who had lost Spain-based goalkeeper Martin Mapisa after the Aces Academy Alumni’s Covid-19 results were controversially declared inconclusive just before kick-off, hailed Shumba saying the goalkeeping crisis might be coming to an end.
“Talbert (Shumba) is top-class. He saved us a lot and his composure and command are the defining qualities of a good goalkeeper.
“What more can you ask for from a goalkeeper who commands his area that well. I believe the team will go far with goalkeepers of his quality guarding the posts. The goalkeeper was not only impressive in this match but even when we drew 2-2 against Algeria at home back in November 2020.”
Shumba, however, might be rested for the final Group H qualifier dead-rubber tie against Zambia at the National Sports Stadium tomorrow at 9pm.
Either Mapisa or Sibanda could be given a chance to show what they can also do in that position.
