Bafana Bafana hammers the Warriors

Bafana Bafana hammers the Warriors

BY NDUMISO MLILO

DURBAN: The South African National soccer team thrashed the Zimbabwe warriors 3-0 at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban on Wednesday.

The warriors started the match being the most dangerous side but could not find the back of the net. On the second minute Caps Uniteds Gilbert Mupemba failed to score from his bicycle kick a few meters from the goal post. The Warriors Captain Esrom Nyandoro blasted his shot over the bar in the seventh minute. Teko Modise unleasged a thunderous shot in the tenth minute and Tapuwa Kapini was equal to the task and he pushed it for a corner kick. The first half belonged to Zimbabwe with Tinashe Nengomashe doing well in the middle of the park. The young Knowledge Musonda watched as his free kick missed by few inches after he was fouled on the edge of the eighteenth area by the dread locked Letsolonyane. Bafana Bafana returned a rejuvenated side after the break with Katlego Mpela tormenting Zimbabwean defenders. South Africa found the back of the net in the 49 minute from a Simpiwe Tshabalala free kick after Method Mwanjali had handled the ball. The Kaizer Chief s youngster Musona was causing a lot of trouble for the South African defenders with his dribbling skills but was lacking stamina which made him to loose possession on some occasions. Zibabwe survived a scare when the Orlando Pirates midfielder Tekos shoot hit the wood work. Sunday Chidzambwa pulled out the captain Esrom who had a quite game for Achiford Gutu in the 69 minute. Thulasizwe Mbuyane added another goal with a header in the 76 minute when the Zimbabwean defenders were mere spectators. Lucas Thwala put the match beyond the reach of the warriors on the stroke of the time with his goal and again the Zimbabwean defenders were found wanting. There was no urgency on the Zimbabwean side even when there were trailing the South Africans. They seemed content with simply knocking the ball. They grouped at the back doing shot passes which in most cases were intercepted by the South Africans. The usually vocal warriors goal minder was not pushing the defenders away. One wonders whether he was following the coach instructions he was also doing shot passes. Zhaimu Jambo and Musona have a future in the warriors team. Sunday took time to substitute. The last ten minutes the warriors were getting back into the game after numerous substitutions by the coach. South Africa went into the game with tails high after a 6-2 drubbing of Swaziland in less that five days at Chatsworth stadium. After the game speaking to the South African Broadcasting Corporation Mhofu Marimo said we played very well but let in two stupid goals may be is due to lack of experience since we only called South Africa and Zimbabwean based players leaving the European based. We are building for African Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2014 World Cup. The Brazilian Carlos Alberto Pereira praised his players for the good game. He praised them for putting aside the misses of the first half making good build ups and winning the match. /END