Zimbabwe 0 – 3 Mali
Zimbabwe’s Under-23 side face a daunting task to keep their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying dream alive after suffering a heavy 3-0 home defeat to Mali at the National Sports Stadium.
The Young Warriors were outclassed from the first whistle and found themselves chasing the game throughout the afternoon, as the visitors imposed themselves in every department and left the hosts with little to show for their efforts. The defeat leaves Zimbabwe needing something close to a miracle in the return leg in Mali next week if they are to overturn the deficit and advance.
Mali made their intentions clear early and took the lead in the sixth minute through Aboubakar Sidibe, who latched onto a well-weighted pass from midfield before calmly beating Zimbabwe goalkeeper Tatenda Chikowero. The early goal settled the visitors and allowed them to dictate the tempo, while Zimbabwe struggled to string passes together or create any meaningful attacking threat in the first half.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the 18th minute from the penalty spot. Zimbabwe captain, Takudzwa Gwanzura was dispossessed on the edge of the box, leaving Tatenda Chikowero exposed and with little choice but to bring down the Mali striker as he attempted to block the attack. Pape Sissoko stepped up and placed the penalty beyond the goalkeeper’s reach to make it 2-0.
Mali continued to dominate after the break, creating a succession of chances that could easily have produced a far bigger scoreline. Mali’s goalkeeper was rarely tested by comparison, and the hosts had to wait until the 77th minute for their first corner kick, a statistic that underlined how one-sided the contest had been.
Any hopes of a comeback were ended in the 56th minute when Seydou Dembele finished off a flowing move from midfield to put the final seal on an impressive away performance. Zimbabwe tried to respond in the closing stages, but their efforts came to nothing against a well-organised Mali side.
Caretaker coach Wilson Mutekede, who took charge of the team while the head coach, Marc Sanchez was away with the senior side in Cameroon, admitted the defeat was painful. He said the players introduced from the bench had tried to change the momentum, but it had not been enough, and urged his squad not to lose hope as they prepare for the return fixture.
The Mali coach, by contrast, was delighted with his team’s display. He said they had identified weaknesses in the Zimbabwe side and had taken full advantage of them, adding that winning by such a margin away from home was a significant achievement, even though the tie was not yet over.
