Zebras In Dull Win

By Tshepo Molwane
Staff Writer | Monday March 26, 2007 00:00

 

At the time of going to press, the victory against Burundi had taken the Zebras to second place as the game in the group between Egypt and Mauritania had not kicked off. The Zebras have themselves to blame for not beating Burundi with a convincing margin because of their negative approach. Instead of using home advantage and going for the kill, national coach Colwyn Rowe decided to deploy defensive tactics. From the onset, it was clear that Uniao Flamengo Santos' nippy midfielder, Vincent Phiri was struggling but the technical team decided to keep him in the field until the second half. Upfront, the combination of Jerome Ramatlhakwana and Diphetogo Selolwane looked out of sorts and the technical bench should have reacted earlier. In the opening half, the Zebras hardly threatened the visitors with Phiri and Ramatlhakwana fluffing chances. Burundi's bustling striker Selemani Musaba had the Zebras' defence in trouble whenever he was in possession. At the back, Valery Nahayo kept things in shape while Elvis Banyihwabe controlled the proceedings.

After the break, the Burundians tried to unsettle the Zebras and get an early goal and Musaba tested Zebras' goalkeeper Modiri Marumo with a shot. The Zebras' moment of truth came in the 65th minute when substitute Thato Siska scored with a header from a telling free-kick by Selolwane. At the moment, it seems Siska cannot stop scoring and could have started the game ahead of Ramatlhakwana. The Zebras could have increased the score in the 68th minute had Selolwane reacted fast to substitute Joel Mogorosi's pass. Mogorosi's speed created problems for the visitors. He had supporters on their toes whenever he was in possession.

Burundi pressed forward for an equaliser but could not find the decisive touch. Substitute Aine Nzomhabanayo tormented the Zebras on the left where Nelson Gabolwelwe had a quiet second half. The Zebras were unlucky in the 82nd minute when Selolwane's freekick came off the upright with Burundian goalkeeper Aime Kitenge well beaten. Mogorosi failed to take advantage when he headed wide from the rebound.

Speaking after the match, Nahayo told Monitor Sport that they worked hard to get a point but were let down by their goalkeeper. The Jomo Cosmos defender said that Kitenge could have done better to deal with Selolwane's freekick. He applauded the Zebras for their fighting spirit. 'The Botswana side worked hard for the win. They have good professionals like Selolwane,' Nahayo told Monitor Sport.

In other AFCON qualifiers played over the weekend, Senegal hammered Tanzania 4-0 at home in Group Seven. Togo continued with their good run winning 3-1 against visiting Sierra Leone while 1996 champions South Africa rocked minnows Chad 3-0 away in Ndjamena. In Abidjan, former champions Ivory Coast won 3-0 against Madagascar. Sudan beat Mauritius 2-1 in Group Four while continental powerhouse Cameroon won 3-1 at home against Liberia. Kenya marked their return to competitive football after suspension with a 2-0 win at home to Swaziland as Nigeria beat visiting Uganda 1-0.

In Luanda, Angola made a mince-meat out of Eritrea beating them 6-1. Zimbabwe secured a late 1-1 draw against Morocco in Harare while Zambia secured a valuable point away to Congo in Brazaville. The game between Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia was postponed.