Mighty Warriors humbled by youthful Stars

THE Mighty Warriors were reminded that age matters in sport as they were humbled by a youthful Twiga Stars in a COSAFA Women’s Championship Group B opening group match yesterday.

For the second time in as many tournaments, the Zimbabweans lost to the East African guest nation, at the Nelson Mandela Bay, in South Africa.

While they were beaten 0-1, last year, it was a comprehensive defeat yesterday,as the younger Tanzanian side outran and outwitted their older opponents.

The top team from each of the three groups, will advance to the semi-finals and will be joined by the best runners-up.

Tanzania coach Bakari Shime, who won last year’s COSAFA Under-17 Women’s Championship title, as well as the 2019 Under-20 Women’s Championships, has brought those players for senior national team duty.

He mixed them with two veterans, including the 31-year-old Mwanahamisi Shurua, who was named the player-of the match yesterday.

Shime’s squad includes four 16-year-olds, who punished the Mighty Warriors.

Tanzania found the opener in the 42nd minute, through Donisia Minja, who punished the Zimbabwean defence, which twice failed to clear the ball out of danger.

Four minutes before Tanzania’s goal, the Mighty Warriors fluffed their best chance when Marjoury Nyaumwe made a good run into the box but, together with forward Priviledge Mupeti, failed to bury the opportunity.

Tanzania shifted into another fear, in the second period, with veteran Shurua and 17-year-old substitute, Aisha Masaka, terrorising the Mighty Warriors defence.

Shurua increased her team’s tally, in the 51st minute, while Masaka ended the match, as a contest, in the 90th minute.

Some of the Zimbabwe players, who had a good run in the Champions League qualifier, with Black Rhinos, were relegated to the bench.

Defender Eunice Chibanda and midfielders Mavis Chirandu and Christabel Katona found themselves among the substitutes.

“It was a good game. I think we played very well but missed a lot of chances, especially in the first half, and this is what happens if you miss chances, you get punished,” said Zimbabwe coach, Sithetheliwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda.

They went into the game, as the most experienced side, at the tournament.

Interestingly, Shurua is the only survivor in the Tanzanian team, which lost to Zimbabwe on penalties, in the semi-finals, in 2011, at Rufaro.

“Zimbabwe is a good side and we struggled a bit in the first half but managed to come back and played passing football and utilised our scoring chances,’’ said Tanzania coach, Shime.

“I commend Aisha Masaka.

“She was last year’s top goal scorer, in the Under-17 tournament (with 10 goals) and we have gained lots of confidence from this game.”

In another Group B match, yesterday, Botswana hammered East African guests South Sudan, 7-0.