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ZORA BUTTER SPECIAL . . . Knowledge Musona (18) celebrates his gem of a goal with his Warriors teammates as Bafana Bafana’s Bernard Parker and goalkeeper Darren Keet look dejected during last night’s friendly at Orlando Stadium

Harare Bureau
South Africa…..(0) 1
Zimbabwe……..(0) 2KNOWLEDGE MUSONA exploded with a gem of a goal as he powered Zimbabwe’s Warriors to a deserved victory, on the back of a sensational show that pushed South Africa into the shade, in a fiery international friendly at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, last night.

With Mamelodi Sundowns newboy, Khama Billiat, putting on a stellar man-of-the-match show, the Warriors were barely recognisable as the team that terribly struggled in their forgettable World Cup qualifying campaign and comfortably ran out winners on the night.

Another new Sundowns man Cuthbert Malajila came off the bench to drill home Zimbabwe’s second, a minute before Bernard Parker replied one for the hosts with a long range shot right at the death.

But it was the polished show which the Warriors put up which charmed those watching the match at Orlando Stadium and millions more who followed the action which was being beamed live on national television and the SABC and SuperSport.

Rarely have the players put on such a cohesive show from goalkeeper Washington Arubi to the last on-field man and even those coming off the bench.

Whether it had something to do with the great rivalry that exists between the Warriors and Bafana Bafana or the fact that there was less pressure and that the majority of the players were hunting on familiar territory remains to be seen.

But such was their fine show that even Musona, who has struggled to find his range for Kaizer Chiefs on his return to the ABSA Premiership, eventually got it right in the colours of his fatherland, last night.

After a goalless first half in which Zimbabwe had already shown promises of getting a breakthrough, Musona, who appeared to be suffering a confidence crisis at Chiefs, grabbed the Warriors’ opener just five minutes after the break.

And what a beauty! The Warriors won a corner and skipper Denver Mukamba swung in a looping cross that sailed over the crowded box and found Musona lurking on the blind side.

The talismanic forward deftly brought the ball down and his second touch was a rising left footed shot that flew past Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Darren Keet.

It was Musona’s third goal against Bafana Bafana in the last two meetings between the old foes with the Amakhosi man having struck a brace when the Warriors won by an identical margin in a friendly at Rufaro in 2011.

Musona said afterwards that he was hopeful that scoring for his country would now help him to rediscover his touch for his club.
The 23-year-old striker will be back at the same venue next Tuesday when Kaizer Chiefs play Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semi-final second leg.

“I think we had a good game. The team played very well, we managed to defend very well for 90 minutes.
“I think my confidence is coming back now and I hope to score more goals for my team and my country,’’ Musona said.

Malajila has already scored for Sundowns and last night he could have found the target in the 86th minute only to drag his effort  across goal after doing well to lure Keet off his line.

But there was no mistake from the former Dynamos, Highlanders and Chapungu hitman three minutes later as he got to the end of a fine delivery from Kingston Nkatha following yet another Warriors sweeping move.

Nkatha, who started alongside Musona in the line of attack had been guilty of a glaring miss in the in the 52nd minute when he found himself face-to-face with the goalkeeper but shot tamely at Keet’s feet after off a four-man move involving Mukamba, Musona and Billiat.

The Warriors “Zora Butter’’ dance which they use to celebrate goals has also captured the international imagination and Musona also found himself having to explain a bit about it. “The celebration (Zora Butter) is from Zimbabwe. It comes from a team called Dynamos. Cuthbert Malajila, who played there brought it into the national team and we always do it when we score but I am also happy for the coach to get a win in his first game against South Africa,’’ Musona said.

In a game which lived up to its pre-match billing, the match hardly resembled a friendly with both sets of players  having a go at each other and tempers often flaring and number of yellow cards being flashed by the referee.

Despite Bafana Bafana enjoying the larger chunk of ball possession in the opening half hour, it was the Warriors who always looked threatening on the break but once they seized the initiative, the visitors never took the feet of the pedal with Billiat outstanding and Chicken Inn’s Danny Phiri impressing in a defensive midfield role.

Interestingly too, last night’s win meant that new coach Ian “Dibango’’ Gorowa kept his 100 percent record  on the road intact since he took over from Klaus Dieter Pagels.

Gorowa has won all the away matches he has taken charge of but curiously a home win remains elusive for the Warriors gaffer, who has seen his troops draw against Mauritius, Zambia and Mozambique at Rufaro.

For being crowned the best player on the night, Billiat received R10 000 but the former Ajax Cape Town winger acknowledged that it had not been easy against a Bafana Bafana side that battled to avoid a home defeat.

“It was tough but we are happy to win, it is never easy to win away from home,’’ Billiat said.
Gorowa, using the game as the first opportunity to assess the South African-based contingent started with only three players from the CHAN squad of home-grown talent, the Chicken Inn pair of defender Felix Chindungwe and midfielder Phiri as well as CAPS United’s Hardlife Zvirekwi.

The coach is on a double mission to build a team for next January’s CHAN finals in South Africa and to start identifying his potential side for the 2015 African Cup of Nations scheduled for Morocco.

Gorowa’s Bafana Bafana counterpart Gordon Igesund conceded defeat and reckoned the Warriors were deserved winners on the night. “Zimbabwe were the better than us they deserved their victory. Sometimes it’s good to lose games. Zimbabwe were the better than us, they had the shape, we didn’t look like a national team and games like these show the difference between the PSL game and international football,’’ Igesund said.

TEAMS:

South Africa: Darren Keet, Tsepo Masilela (M Van Heerden 75th min), Mlompho Kekana, Bongani Zungu (S.Tshabalala 64th min), David Mathebula, Eric Mathoho, Reneilwe Letsholonyane (R. Gamildien 46th min), Bernard Parker, Buhle Mkhwanazi, Siphelile Mthembu, Thulani Hlatshwayo (T. Gumede 42nd min)

Zimbabwe: Washington Arubi, Hardlife Zvirekwi (E. Chipeta 81st minute), Onismor Bhasera, Carlington Nyadombo, Felix Chindungwe, Willard Katsande, Khama Billiat (S. Songani 89th minute), Danny Phiri (P. Jaure 87th minute), Knowledge Musona, Denver Mukamba (C. Malajila 65th minute), Kingstone Nkatha.

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