ZIMBABWE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(2) 2
ANGOLA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1
(Angola wins 5-4 on penalties to progress to the next round)
THE Zimbabwe women national football team crashed out of the Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers after a penalty shootout heartbreak against Angola in a first round second leg match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria yesterday.
Zimbabwe, who lost the first leg 2-1 in Angola last week, were the home side in this match.
They hosted the match in South Africa because the country does not have a Caf-certified stadium to host international matches.
Despite that handicap, they looked to be cruising to the next round after taking a 2-0 halftime lead.
Ethel Chinyerere scored a beauty in the 35th minute to give the Mighty Warriors the lead when she expertly brought down a high ball from the back with her right foot before finishing with her left in a crowded box.
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The exciting Christabel Katona doubled Zimbabwe’s lead eight minutes later when she bundled the ball home from close range via a defender’s legs after the Angola keeper had fumbled an Emaculate Msipa long range shot.
They had the chance to kill off the contest early in the second half, but the Mighty Warriors squandered very good chances that came their way, with Rutendo Makore the chief culprit after she wasted two golden opportunities from one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper.
They were made to pay dearly for the misses when Arminda Lopes, the scorer of a brace in Luanda, was given too much room inside the box to chest control a cross before firing past Lindiwe Magwede in goals for Zimbabwe on 77 minutes, to level the scores at 3-3 on aggregate.
The aggregate score remained like that after 90 minutes and, with no extra time at this stage of the qualifiers, it headed straight to the dreaded penalty kicks, where Angola players held their cool to score all their allotted five kicks.
Christina Makua, Margareth Salvador, Catia Alves, Matondo Matuova and Zeferina Coupe all converted from the spot for Angola.
For Zimbabwe, Nobukhosi Ncube, Mavis Chirandu, Daizy Kaitano and Yolanda Kanyai were all successful before Magwede dragged her shot wide off target with the fifth kick for Zimbabwe.
Angola will play Malawi over two legs in the second and final round of the qualifiers.
