[ad_1]
The Herald
Tadious Myths in ARGIERS, Algeria
Algeria ………………… (2) 3
Zimbabwe …………… (0) 1
ANOTHER costly mistake by goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, a costly if not silly gamble to put Ovidy Karuru in the starting eleven and a series of missed opportunities combined to drag the Warriors to their first AFCON qualifying loss of 2021 in Algiers last night.
While the odds were heavily stacked against them from the outset, in a showdown against Africa’s best soccer team, the Warriors gave their best, in a throbbing battle at Stadium July 5, 1962.
It is a game in which they contributed greatly to his downfall, since they created enough opportunities to have had the total value of at least one point.
When the Algerians took the lead, through striker Bagdad Bounedjah, in the 31st minute, the Warriors had rejected two golden opportunities that, had they seized them, could have changed the course of the match’s outcome.
They started on the better side, pushing into the Desert Foxes penalty area and, after nearly two minutes, their first real opportunity came.
The Warriors pushed the ball into the Foxes area and, amid the chaos, Khama Billiat, who had time and space in the left channel of the home defense, broke.
The Kaizer Chiefs forward opened fire, with his left foot, but his shot, from an angle, was blocked by the Algerian goalkeeper, Rais M’Bohli.
At this level of the game, it was a good opportunity, and Billiat knows that they don’t come that often, in places like Algiers, and when they show up, they should be caught.
But, if Billiat can be given the benefit of the doubt that he did at least shoot the target, and from an angle, forcing the ‘keeper to save with his foot extended, Tino Kadewere may be wondering how he failed to put the Warriors lead in the 17th minute.
When the visitors won a free kick deep in the hosts’ territory, Captain Knowledge Musona took on the responsibility of launching it into the packed area.
The delivery was perfect, clearing the first defensive wall and picking up Kadewere who was climbing to catch the ball and apply what should have been the routine finishing touch.
With a great goal, and goalkeeper M’Bohli cleared of any potential interference, the Olympique Lyon striker somehow sent his header spinning over the crossbar.
What a golden opportunity!
Having survived the initial scare, the hosts began to take control, to find time and space in midfield, and as the game approached the half hour mark, they seemed to create a highway to heaven on the left side. of the Zimbabwean defense.
Coach Zdravko Logarusic’s bid to include Karuru in the squad had already been a big topic of conversation on the national soccer scene, with some questioning whether the midfielder, who has been a good servant for his country, deserved that call.
His argument, rather than questioning his pedigree, was that he did not have the match conditioning that, for a team that would spend most of its time defending its territory, would have to give all the value to the Warriors.
The Croatian decided to put him in the starting eleven and it was a huge and expensive bet, which went wrong and when the Algerians settled down and began to dominate the midfield, the absence of supplementary defenses, in that engine room, began to fade. tell.
And, in minute 31, the visitors were sanctioned.
Divine Lunga somehow let her man run into the Warriors penalty area and Sofiane Feghouli fired into the goal.
It’s the kind of shot Chipezeze should have stopped, nine times out of ten, but the keeper stopped it and Bounedja pounced to put his team ahead.
Then, minutes before the break, Riyad Mahrez was given respect, to maintain possession down the right channel of the Foxes attack and his delivery was perfect, with Feghouli, unmarked in the area, heading home.
To their credit the Warriors kept fighting, after the break, and created some good opportunities, Kadewere again found himself face to face with the goalkeeper, but failed to pass the ball.
They were punished when Mahrez made it 3-0 for the Algerians, their initial attempt to find a teammate was blocked by Alec Mudimu before Manchester City picked up the rebound, danced inside the area and lifted the ball past the substitute goalkeeper. Talbert Shumba.
The lion had replaced the injured Spider at halftime.
Algeria have now opened a five-point gap in the Group H standings, the Warriors remain second with four points, while Zambia now has three and Botswana one.
“Obviously I am disappointed with the result. I know we made some mistakes, but we should have scored goals if we had taken our chances. I will pick the positives going forward, ”Loga said.
“I am happy that I managed to match the Algerians, but they were able to finish their own chances while we failed.
“Although we haven’t been with the team for a long time, there are positive signs.
“We will try to get a result in Zimbabwe on Monday.
“I am happy with the overall performance of my team, but disappointed with the result.”
There was chaos, before the match, when the Algerians refused to allow Billiat and Adam Chicksen to enter the stadium because they argued that they were not players.
This resulted in a nasty 15 minute showdown between the two parties before the issue was resolved. The two teams meet again on Monday at the National Sports Stadium in the reverse match.
Judging by the way they applied yesterday, and if they can convert their chances, the Warriors will think they can go into that game with a good chance of getting a point.
Zimbabwe
Elvis Chipezeze (Talbert Shumba 46 min) Tendayi Darikwa, Divine Lunga, Teenage Hadebe, Alec Mudimu, Jordan Zemura (Kuda Mahachi 70 min) Marvelous Nakamba, Ovidy Karuru (Tafadzwa Rusike 70 min), Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat (David Moyo 75 min min)), Tino Kadewere
