Zimbabwe edge Zambia to lift Mukuru Four-Nation Tournament cup

Zimbabwe edged Zambia 1-0 to lift the Mukuru Four-Nation Tournament cup in a tightly contested final.

The Warriors had to be patient for much of the match, with the winning goal coming late in the game.

In the opening stages, there were no clear chances from either side, although Zambia created the first real opportunity and forced a save from Elvis Chipezeze.

Zimbabwe only came out of their shell and got their first meaningful chance on the half-hour mark when Macauley Bonne broke through on goal before being denied by the keeper in a one-on-one situation.

Not long after, the Warriors thought they had taken the lead in the 38th minute following a well-worked move, but Bonne’s goal was ruled out for offside.

At the other end, Zambia also posed a threat going forward but could not find the breakthrough, and the game went into the break goalless.

In the second half, Zimbabwe dominated the early pace, and Emmanuel Jalai had an effort from inside the box in the 50th minute, but his shot went straight to the keeper.

Zimbabwe created another big chance three minutes later when Bill Antonio was put through on goal, but once again he was denied by the keeper in a one-on-one situation.

Midway through the second half, the Warriors suffered an injury setback when Junior Selemani was forced off injured and replaced by Junior Zindoga. Later on, Corbin Mthunzi made his Warriors debut in the 85th minute, coming on for Isheanesu Mauchi.

The decisive moment finally came in the 89th minute when Zimbabwe took the lead, as substitute Zindoga’s ball was turned into the net by a Zambian defender.

The result marks Zimbabwe’s second clean sheet of the tournament after beating hosts Botswana on Saturday.

Pic Credit: ZIFA 

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