Sports Correspondent
Zimbabwe suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match at the National Sports Stadium.
The Warriors were unable to build on their sterling performance against Sierra Leone, when they staged a stunning 3-2 comeback win.
Trailing 2-0 at half-time, the Warriors fought back to secure a dramatic victory in Morocco.
However, there was to be no repeat of those heroics against the Leopards, who took control of the match and went into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.
Zimbabwe struggled to find a way through the DRC defence for much of the contest and were forced to chase the game in the second half.
The Warriors finally found the net late in the match when midfield workhorse Marshall Munetsi pulled a goal back in the dying moments of the encounter.
It was too little, too late.
The Warriors will now have to regroup and pick up crucial points in their remaining matches to keep their hopes of qualifying for the AFCON finals alive.
