Zimbabwe . . . . .0 Zambia . . . . .(0)3
FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER
YOUNG CHIPOLOPOLO of Zambia scored three goals in the second half to dispatch the Young Warriors and snatch gold in the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games in a match that marked the close of the sixth edition of the biennial completion at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.
The Zambian Under-20 team, a class of their own, who scored 19 goals in the tournament and conceded one, had no mercy for the clueless Young Warriors, who settled for the silver medal.
The only goal conceded by the Young Chipolopolo was a penalty in the 6-1 routing of South Africa in their first match of the tournament in Group B.
Zambia got their goals through gunman Patrick Ngoma with a flashing header past goalkeeper Kelvin Shangiwa in the 52nd minute, another brilliant header by Harrison Musonda four minutes later before a spot-kick converted by Solomon Sakala in the 76th minute.
It was Ngoma’s seventh goal of the tournament after scoring a brace against Lesotho in the group stages, one against South Africa and a hat trick in the sem-final on Saturday when they beat Malawi 4-0.
Coach Hector Chilombo said they had prepared well for this tournament saying the side was a “B” side of their Under-20 team.
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“We prepared well for this tournament and it paid off. It is all about team work and I have stayed with these boys for three years. Zimbabwe have a good team in the youngsters and they have to build on them,” Chilombo said.
Zambia never lost or drew a match in the Region 5 Youth Games. The Young Warriors coach Tafadzwa Mashiri was disappointed.
“It is disappointing. We played well in the first half and lost concentration in the second. We lost the plot in the midfield and they (Zambia) kept on coming at us and our marking in defence was poor. But this is a developmental tournament. There is a lot of hope in the younsgters,” Mashiri said.
His usual impact players, Denzel Khumalo and Thembalethu Mthunzi who came in the second half, could not save the day yesterday for the Young Warriors.
Defender Leslie Lunga was shown the red card for a second bookable offence after he fouled Kasashi Lupiya in the 64th minute and hacked him down inside the box 10 minutes later and was given his marching orders by the Seychelles referee Keren Treddy Yocette. A penalty was converted by Sakala.
