Zimbabwe’s Young Warriors made a strong start to their 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualification campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Mauritius at the National Sports Stadium last night.
Goals from David Chigwada and Nisbert Muzenda in either half secured the first-leg win for Zimbabwe, who will travel to Mauritius next week for the decisive return fixture.
The victory provided a welcome boost for local football fans following the Warriors’ 2-1 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Monday.
Playing their first international match together in some time, the Young Warriors dominated proceedings from the opening whistle, enjoying the majority of possession and controlling large areas of the pitch.
The 2-0 scoreline, however, did not fully reflect Zimbabwe’s dominance, with the hosts creating several opportunities that could have seen them win by a wider margin.
Mauritius struggled to threaten the Zimbabwean defence, managing just one shot on target throughout the match, which was comfortably dealt with by goalkeeper Tatenda Chikowero.
Chigwada was a constant threat and eventually broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when his effort took a slight deflection on its way into the net.
The goal appeared likely to open the floodgates, but Mauritius responded with a disciplined low defensive block that frustrated the Young Warriors for long periods.
Zimbabwe eventually found a breakthrough again in the second half, with Muzenda producing a moment of individual brilliance to double the hosts’ advantage.
Despite the comfortable victory, coach Marc Sanchez remained cautious, insisting that the tie is far from over.
“I think we dominated the match from the first minute to the last minute,” said Sanchez.
“And I’m so happy with the job that my players have done. We conceded just one shot on target in all 90 minutes.
“I think we could have scored more goals. And going with that result to the next match is not a definitive result, so we’ll have to finish the job next match.”
Mauritius coach Cadrivel Dorasami expressed disappointment with the result but vowed that his side would approach the second leg differently.
The winner over the two legs will face Mali in the next round, with a place at the 2028 Olympic Games at stake
