The Zimbabwe Warriors staged an impressive comeback, overcoming a two-goal deficit to secure a 3-2 victory against Sierra Leone at El Jadida Stadium in Morocco.
Sierra Leone had an early lead in their Group E Cup of Nations qualifier on Thursday, with Alie Conteh and Sallieu Tarawallie finding the net.
Conteh opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match, heading the ball into the bottom left corner after receiving a well-placed cross from Tarawallie.
Not long after, Tarawallie himself added to the tally with a precise left-footed shot from close range after expertly controlling the ball, following a corner kick.
Just before the hour mark, Azeem Abdulai made his international debut for Sierra Leone, replacing Saidu Fofanah in midfield. MJ Kamson-Kamara, a defender from Kilmarnock in Scotland, also stepped onto the pitch for his debut, coming on for Juma Bah in defense during the second half.
The Turning Point
Just when it seemed that Sierra Leone was comfortably in control, Zimbabwe struck back. Wolves attacker Marshall Munetsi headed the ball into the bottom right corner in the 72nd minute, pulling one back for Zimbabwe with an assist from Tawanda Chirewa, who delivered a cross following a corner.
Buoyed by this goal, Zimbabwe continued their charge and equalised the match at 2-2. Chirewa found the net again, scoring with a stunning left-footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner, assisted by Marvellous Nakamba.
The Warriors completed their remarkable comeback in the 88th minute, with Munetsi netting his second goal of the match. Sierra Leone seemed to have lost focus after leading 2-0 until the 70th minute.
In another match within Group E, DR Congo triumphed over Equatorial Guinea with a 2-0 victory at Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecôte on Thursday. With this win, DR Congo temporarily sits atop the Group E standings after Match Day One.
Thursday, 24 September 2026 – Results
- Group G: Namibia 1-0 Congo
- Group E: DR Congo 2-0 Equatorial Guinea
- Group F: Mauritania 3-1 Central African Republic
- Group H: Libya 2-2 Botswana
- Group C: Côte d’Ivoire 2-0 Ghana
- Group E: Sierra Leone 2-3 Zimbabwe
- Group G: Cameroon 3-1 Comoros
- Group H: Tunisia 1-1 Uganda