Nakamba Apologises After Late Penalty as Warriors Exit AFCON

Warriors midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has apologised after conceding a late penalty as Zimbabwe lost 3–2 to South Africa, exiting the Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage (image source)

HARARE — Warriors midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has apologised to Zimbabweans after conceding a late penalty that proved decisive in Zimbabwe’s 3–2 defeat to South Africa in their Group B Africa Cup of Nations match on Monday, a result that confirmed the Warriors’ exit from the tournament.

Zimbabwe were level at 2–2 deep into the second half when Nakamba was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area. Following a VAR review, the referee awarded South Africa a spot kick, which Oswin Appollis converted in the 82nd minute to send Bafana Bafana into the knockout stages.

Speaking after the match, Nakamba accepted responsibility for the incident and addressed supporters directly. “I am sorry to my country, to my teammates and to everyone in Zimbabwe,” he said. “It’s life. We lose as a team and hopefully we will soldier on and learn from the mistakes. It’s part of life.”

The match had been closely contested, with Zimbabwe showing resilience after falling behind twice. South Africa took an early lead through Tshepang Moremi, whose deflected effort looped over goalkeeper Washington Arubi. Zimbabwe responded in the 19th minute when Tawanda Maswanhise weaved past defenders before scoring from range.

South Africa regained the advantage shortly after the break, with Lyle Foster heading over Arubi following a moment of defensive hesitation. Zimbabwe once again responded, restoring parity and setting up a tense final phase before the controversial penalty decision swung the match in South Africa’s favour.

An own goal by Aubrey Modiba reduced the deficit and sparked late pressure from the Warriors in stoppage time, but South Africa held firm to secure the victory.

Zimbabwe coach Mario Marinica said the result highlighted the fine margins at international level. “At this level of competition, every mistake is punished,” Marinica said. “We knew South Africa would have spells of dominance. They are comfortable on the ball, and we tried to exploit the spaces when they appeared.”

He added that Zimbabwe had remained competitive for large periods of the match. “In transition, we were dangerous and that allowed us to stay in the contest. But we needed to stay organised, win our duels and be strong on second balls throughout.”

Reaction to Nakamba’s penalty was mixed among supporters on social media. While some expressed frustration at the decisive moment, others urged fans not to single out an individual in a team sport, commending the midfielder for taking responsibility publicly.

The result saw South Africa finish second in Group B with six points to secure qualification for the knockout stages. Zimbabwe finished bottom of the group with one point and exit the tournament.