Struggling Warriors Fall Heavily To The Desert Foxes In An International Friendly
Zimbabwe Warriors suffered a 3-1 defeat to Algeria in an international friendly match played on Thursday evening at Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The match which is part of the Warriors’ preparations ahead of the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in December was the first match for the Zimbabwe national team under newly appointed coach Marian Marinica.
With Marinica naming a surprise starting eleven that lacked quality players in key positions, Algeria didn’t take long to assert its dominance early on. Just 14 minutes into the game, Baghdad Bounedjah opened the scoring with a well-placed shot from inside the box, capitalizing on a defensive lapse from Zimbabwe. The early goal set the tone for Algeria, which continued to press forward.
The Warriors struggled to maintain the Desert Foxes’ pressure as they were outmatched in all areas. The combination of Jonah Fabisch, Walter Musona, and Sean Fusire in the midfield did not work as they were often overwhelmed by the experienced Ismael Bennacer and Ramiz Zerrouki who were controlling the midfield for Algeria alongside 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza.
Algeria doubled its lead in the 41st minute with Mohamed Amoura as it continued to mount pressure on the Warriors.
As the first half drew to a close, Algeria added a third goal in stoppage time (45+1 minutes) through Jaouen Hadjam. The left-back made a surging run into the box and finished with precision, sending Algeria into the halftime break with a commanding 3-0 lead.
The second half saw Zimbabwe make several tactical changes, bringing on substitutes Prince Dube, Prosper Padera, Godknows Murwira, and Tawanda Chirewa in place of the struggling Washington Navaya, Tawanda Maswanhise, Sean Fusire, and Bill Antonio respectively. These substitutions injected fresh energy into the Zimbabwean side, who began to create more opportunities.
Despite Algeria’s strong defensive display, Zimbabwe’s persistence paid off in the 86th minute when Tawanda Chirewa, who had just come on as a substitute, won a penalty after being fouled in the box. Chirewa confidently converted the penalty, giving Zimbabwe a much-needed consolation goal to ignite some hope of coming back, but it was too little too late.
The match concluded with Algeria securing a 3-1 victory, showcasing their attacking capabilities and tactical discipline. While Zimbabwe struggled in the first half, their substitutions in the second half made a significant impact, showing some resilience and ability to adapt to high pressure.
Algeria will take great confidence from this performance as they continue their campaign, while Zimbabwe will look to build on the positives from their late resurgence as they prepare for their next match against Qatar on Monday.
Warriors XI: Washington Arubi, Munashe Garananga, Brendan Galloway, Gerald Takwara, Teenage Hadebe, Jonah Fabisch, Bill Antonio, Walter Musona, Washington Navaya, Sean Fusire, Tawanda Maswanhise.
