Warriors held in COSAFA opener

5 June 2025

By Andile Vundla

Zimbabwe opened their 2025 COSAFA Cup Group A campaign with a goalless draw against Mauritius at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein, yesterday. The Warriors battled to a stalemate in a match that saw periods of strong play from both sides but ultimately lacked a decisive finish.

Mauritius started brightly, pressing high and creating early chances, though none found the target. Zimbabwe gradually grew into the game, with Tinotenda Meke and Kennedy Mupomba registering shots over the bar. Despite gaining some momentum towards the end of the first half, Zimbabwe failed to register a shot on target. Thando Ngwenya had a goal disallowed for offside just before the break.

The second half began cautiously, with neither team creating significant threats for the first 15 minutes. Mauritius then upped the tempo, testing Zimbabwe’s defense and even finding the net in the 73rd minute, only for VAR to rule it out for a handball.

Zimbabwe, despite making four substitutions and appearing poised for a late push, squandered several opportunities, including a stoppage-time header from Andrew Mbeba that went narrowly wide.

The match concluded without a goal which saw both teams share the spoils in Group A. In the other group A fixture that was played yesterday, Mozambique defeated hosts South Africa 1-0, taking an early lead in the standings.