Zimbabwe 3-1 Lesotho
RODRECK Mutuma scored a double as the Warriors edged Lesotho to take a two-goal lead in an African Nations Championship (Chan) final qualifier first leg match played at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.
The second leg will be played in Maseru on October 25.
After a goalless first half, striker Knox Mutizwa was hacked down in the box in the 49th minute and Mutuma converted from the spot.
Ten minutes later, the Dynamos man was back on the score sheet again, hitting the roof of the net from close range and the Warriors looked well and truly on their way to a convincing first leg lead.
But they took the foot off the pedal a bit and paid the price in the 62nd minute when Tsepo Senkurumane pulled one back.
And then it was left to inspirational skipper Danny ‘Deco’ Phiri to seal a good victory and give the Warriors a good cushion with the third goal, 11 minutes from time.
The Warriors have never failed to qualify for the Chan finals since the competition, exclusively for players plying their trade in their local leagues, was inaugurated in 2009 in Ivory Coast.
In that year, Sunday Chidzambwa took the Warriors, captained by former Highlanders defensive stalwart Gilbert Banda, to the West African nation, but they could not make the knockout stages.
Then followed Madinda Ndlovu in Sudan in 2011 and, again, he failed to make the last eight after losing the last group match to South Africa.
The year 2014 eventually arrived and Ian Gorowa was in charge in South Africa and he re-wrote the history books, leading the Warriors into the last four where they lost to eventual champions Libya.
Perhaps not wanting to join the bandwagon of those failed coaches, Pasuwa is trying his luck with the senior national team.
And so far so good.
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