The Warriors of Zimbabwe were restricted to a lifeless goalless draw by the Mambas of Mozambique as they got their Cosafa Cup campaign underway, in Port Elizabeth yesterday.

For long periods of this match, which fittingly didn’t produce a goal, it resembled just a pre-season training game, for two lower league sides.

There will be those who will argue, with justification, expectation should be low, given many of the Warriors haven’t been featuring, in competitive matches, for some time.

But, the first round of the Chibuku Super Cup games, which featured some of these players, produced some thrilling matches, spiced by some fine individual performances.

Take, for instance, Bruno Mutigo’s super show, at Mandava last month, when he rose from the bench and, with just two swings of his right foot, powered himself into the headlines.

In those few minutes, in which his two excellent goals helped Ngezi Platinum overturn the deficit and beat FC Platinum 2-1, Mutigo provided more highlights, as a person, than the entire Warriors did, as a team, yesterday.

The same can be said of Denver Mukamba’s swift change of direction, sudden burst of pace, a cheeky body swerve and a sublime goal, to help Ngezi Platinum beat Triangle, in the same competition.

Teenage Dynamos winger, Bill Antonio, running rings around opponents, in his first dance in the top-flight league, has produced more highlights, than the poor show we saw yesterday.

The lifeless show against Mozambique, at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium, in which the Warriors failed to do even the basics, of stringing together meaningful passes, left many fans fuming on social media.

There were just three shots on target, for the Warriors, from their eight shots during the game.

Coach Zdravko Logarusic has emphasised he is interested in finding out how some players can respond, in such matches.

But, if this is what his team will produce, throughout the tournament, then he is unlikely to pick anything of substance, from this tour.- State media