Zimbabwe stun Sierra Leone with dramatic second-half comeback

Zimbabwe produced a stunning second-half comeback to beat Sierra Leone 3-2 and make a winning start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Warriors looked to be heading for defeat after conceding twice in the opening half, but a remarkable late turnaround secured all three points in Morocco.

Sierra Leone took the lead after just seven minutes when Alie Conteh found the net before Sallieu Tarawallie doubled their advantage in the 27th minute.

Zimbabwe went into the break trailing 2-0 and facing a difficult task against a Sierra Leone side that had appeared to be in control.

The Warriors returned from the interval with a completely different approach and began to put their opponents under pressure.

Marshall Munetsi started the comeback in the 72nd minute when he pulled a goal back for Zimbabwe.

Just four minutes later, Tawanda Chirewa found the equaliser to make it 2-2 and dramatically change the complexion of the match.

Zimbabwe then completed the turnaround two minutes from the end of normal time when Munetsi scored his second goal of the night to give the Warriors a 3-2 victory.

The result was particularly significant as it marked a winning start for Zimbabwe in Group E of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

CAF described the match as the “comeback of the night” after the Warriors overturned their two-goal deficit.

Zimbabwe face DR Congo on Monday

The Warriors will now turn their attention to their second qualifying match when they host the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, 28 September.

The match will be played at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, with the official ZIFA ticketing platform confirming the fixture for Monday evening.

DR Congo also made a winning start to their campaign, defeating Equatorial Guinea 2-0 in their opening Group E match.

That means Zimbabwe and DR Congo both head into Monday’s encounter with three points from their opening matches.

The Warriors will take confidence from their dramatic victory over Sierra Leone as they prepare for their first home qualifier.

The National Sports Stadium is also set to welcome the Warriors for a major international fixture after Zimbabwe regained approval to host competitive matches at the venue.