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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
For talismanic Zimbabwe striker Knowledge Musona, the Warriors qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations to be held in Gabon early next year was a classic case of third time luck.

Musona led the line of attack for his country on three successive campaigns but on all occasions his contributions were seemingly not enough to take the national team to the Promised Land.

Musona took the mantle of leading Zimbabwe’s attack as they campaigned for a place at the 2012 Nations Cup co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Then the Warriors were under the guidance of Norman Mapeza, albeit after a disastrous tampering by ZIFA which had Tom Saintfiet and Madinda Ndlovu briefly featuring in the dressing room. Although he provided goals during the campaign including his debut Warriors goal against Liberia in Monrovia, Musona still watched in agony as the Warriors crushed out with Cape Verde Islands winning the group ticket.

A year later Musona was back in the trenches leading the campaign that began in Burundi as the Warriors sought a place at a re-arranged 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa.

Then, as in 2012 Musona playing in Rahman Gumbo’s Warriors, supplied the goals but just like his close friend Khama Billiat they were left in tears as Zimbabwe blew a 3-1 lead against Angola in Luanda to crash out of the reckoning.

Musona was not part of the brief 2015 AFCON qualifiers in which Zimbabwe crashed out at the first hurdle against Tanzania when the Warriors were then under Ian Gorowa. Four years on Musona’s hour finally arrived and yesterday, before an expectant crowd at the National Sports Stadium, he held his nerves as he calmly slotted home Zimbabwe’s opener from the penalty spot.

Goals by Billiat and substitute Cuthbert Malajila put Zimbabwe firmly in the driving seat before qualification was confirmed following news that Guinea, who seemed to pose the biggest threat to their dream, had fallen in Mbabane.

After three attempts, Musona could not believe that he would not be an arm chair spectator when the Nations Cup showcase bursts into life in Gabon early next year.