Zambia 0-1 Zimbabwe
FRANCISTOWN, Botswana – Zimbabwe won the inaugural Mukuru 4 Nations tournament in Botswana on Tuesday after a last-gasp winner over Zambia from Junior Zindoga’s deflected shot.
The Warriors fashioned several openings but failed to put them away, finally breaching the Zambian defence with a huge slice of luck in Francistown.
If the goal was scruffy, the build-up was anything but. With the final whistle inevitable and penalties looming, Bill Antonio released Zindoga with an early pass on the right. Zindoga charged into the box, skipped the challenge of his marker who lay sprawling on the ground before attempting a cross which bounced off Kafunti Saisasa’s chest and squeezed between the post and Zambia’s goalkeeper Joseph Mulenga.
It was a cruel fate for Zambia, who fielded a largely second-string side as most of their stars are preparing for a friendly match against Argentina.
Zimbabwe thought they had a goal midway through the first half when Macauley Bonne’s bullet header from Mongameli Tshuma’s cross was cancelled for offside.
Antonio and Bonne both had Mulenga rush off his line to gather at point blank range.
Zimbabwe coach Marian Marinica said: “It’s a good step for us going forward. It was a tough match, Zambia pushed us hard, they had their chances and we had ours.”
In the third and fourth play-off, Botswana beat Malawi 1-0.
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