The Sunday Mail
Mehluli Sibanda in Bulawayo
Zimbabwe Under-20................. (0) 1
Namibia Under-20........................ 0
ZIMBABWE booked a place in the boys soccer final of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games following a win over a 10-man Namibia in a semi-final clash at Luveve in Bulawayo yesterday.
A 66th minute strike by Learnmore Muyambo, a COPA Coca-Cola winner with Chemhanza High School guaranteed Zimbabwe a place in the final. Namibia played the last 16 minutes of the match with 10 players after defender Baloyi Tsandib was sent off by Lesotho referee Retselisitsoe Molise for a second bookable offence.
The Young Warriors will now meet the marauding Zambians in the fight for a gold medal at Barbourfields this afternoon. Zambia hammered Malawi 4-0 in an earlier last four match staged at Luveve yesterday. Namibia and Malawi clash in a bronze medal decider at Barbourfields this morning.
Zimbabwe had started the match brightly and thought they had won a penalty in the third minute when Lennon Bvochora went down under challenge inside the box, only for Molise to issue a yellow card to the Zimbabwean forward for diving.
Bvochora and Bukhosi Sibanda wasted glorious opportunities to open the scoring for the home side.
Namibia started to find their way back into the match with Katiti Hakuria trying to chip Zimbabwean goalkeeper Kelvin Shangiwa when he was allowed too much space in front of goal.
Zimbabwe dominated play for most parts of the first half but failed to make good use of any of them, Sibanda and Tatenda Muringani the chief culprits.
Tafadzwa Mashiri, the Young Warriors coach made a change as the resumption of the second period with Denzel Khumalo coming in for Muringani. Khumalo’s free kick from outside the box soon after coming in proved not too strong enough to cause problems for Namibian goalkeeper Donovan Gainub.
As Zimbabwe continued pressing forward, Thomas Kadyaridzire saw his effort go over the bar after being nicely set up by Bvochora.
Tsandib earned the first of his two yellow cards for a rough tackle on Kadyaridzire.
Venevineja Tjikundi almost caught Zimbabwe napping in the 57th minute, Zimbabwean goalkeeper Shangiwa doing well to tip the ball over for a corner kick.
With the match seemingly headed for penalties, defensive link Muyambo delivered the all important goal for Zimbabwe, punishing the Namibians for failing the clear with sweet timed strike into the nets.
Namibia were reduced to 10 players, Tsandib given his marching orders for his violent conduct towards Sibanda.
Namibia tried by all means to find an equaliser to force the match into the dreaded shootouts but the Zimbabwe defence stood firm to preserve their one goal advantage which they successfully did.
Mashiri said he was looking forward to what he believes is going to be a tough final against Zambia. The Young Warriors coach raised concern about fatigue as his players will be playing a third match in the same number of days.
Teams
Zimbabwe: Kelvin Shangiwa, Tatenda Muringani(Khumalo 46 minutes), Mathias Chodeva, Thomas Kadyaridzire, Ishmael Munsaka(Chivandire 88 minutes), Leslie Lusinga, Bukhosi Sibanda, Lennon Bvochora(Mthunzi 56 minutes) , Bukhosi Ncube, Trevor Zidoro
Namibia: Donovan Gainub, Johannes Kwedhi, Bobby Amukwanya, Baloyi Tsandib, Manchester United Maggyver, Pandeni Kandjabanga, Katiti Hakuria, Jurgen Van Der Byl(Beukes 83 minutes), Jandjamuje Maharero(Leonard 90+1 minutes) , Hiha Katjivena(Nauseb 74 minutes), Venovineja Tjikundi
