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Zimbabwe ................... 2 Guinea ........................ 1

YAOUNDE – Zimbabwe claimed their first-ever win at the Africa Cup of Nations after they beat Guinea 2-1 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium yesterday evening.

Norman Mapeza’s side were playing for pride in Yaounde, having already been eliminated from the tournament and they took a twogoal lead into the break courtesy of Knowledge Musona and Kudakwashe Mahachi.

Naby Keita halved the deficit four minutes after the restart, but the National Elephants came up short in the end despite a dominant display in the second half.

After a fairly uneventful opening 20 minutes, the first clear-cut chance fell to the West Africans when Talbert Shumba rushed off his line in an attempt to cut out Issiaga Sylla’s cross on the left but failed and Sory Kaba’s strike from 12 yards out was deflected wide by the out-stretched leg of Bruce Kangwa.

Sniff

Mahachi had a sniff at goal on the opposite end of the pitch in the 25th minute as he curled a first-time shot over from the edge of the box after being teed up by Musona.

The Warriors then broke the deadlock moments later as an unmarked Musona headed home Never Tigere’s cross from the right after his initial corner had only been half cleared.

Two minutes before the break they were celebrating their second goal. Mahachi received the ball from Admiral Muskwe and picked out the bottom-left corner of the net from outside the area.

They pulled one back just three minutes later when Keita advanced on goal from the right and lashed a left-footed shot into the top-left corner of the net from the edge of the box.