Cameroon/Zimbabwe: Warriors Coach Still Hopeful Despite Cameroon Loss

WARRIORS coach Zdravko Logarusic has backed his charges to bounce back from the disappointment of their loss to Cameroon in the opening match of the 2021 African Nations Championships (CHAN) as he braces for the second Group A clash against Burkina Faso Wednesday.

Despite frustrating their more fancied opponents for long periods in the opening match of the tournament Zimbabwe were undone by Solomon Banga’s acrobatic finish after 72 minutes to suffer a narrow 1-0 defeat to hosts Cameroon.

The Warriors will however take pride in how they countered and faced Cameroon as they prepare for the next games against Mali and Burkina Faso Wednesday and Sunday respectively.

Logarusic who stirred a hornet’s nest before the game with witchcraft accusations towards the hosts after a dead bat was found on the pitch before kick-off, expressed optimism that his charges would still be able to reach the quarterfinals despite the opening day loss.

“Cameroon and their coach are to be congratulated for the match achieved tonight at the start of the competition. We played against a good team which will certainly have a say in this CHAN,” Logarusic told reporters in the post-match Press conference.

“This is not the end of the world. We will play two more games and we have every chance of securing a place in the quarterfinals. It’s up to us to study our mistakes and correct them before our next meeting against Burkina Faso.

The result saw the team drop to the bottom of Group A after Mali opened with a 1-0 win over their West African counterparts Burkina Faso Mali in the second game of Group A.

Meanwhile, Cameroon coach Martin Mpile said he was pleased that his charges were able to secure all three points against the Zimbabweans, who believes had “a good game”.

“First, I would like to thank the Zimbabwe team for having a good game. I am satisfied with the three points acquired during this first day, because this is important for the start of each tournament. We will study Mali, our next opponent,” he said.

The CHAN tournament will continue with two games scheduled Sunday when Libya take on Niger in the first match before the Democratic Republic of Congo clash against Congo Brazzaville in the second match.

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