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Africa Moyo Deputy News Editor

THE Warriors bowed out of the African Cup of Nations 2021 despite a commendable performance that ensured a 2-1 win against Guinea in their final Group B match on Tuesday night.

The win against Guinea saw the Warriors getting their first set of three points during the AFCON finals for the first time since 2006, when the team beat Ghana 2-1.

Following two disappointing losses against Senegal (1-0) and Malawi (2-1), Warriors’ fans had already accepted their fate, and expectations were sky-high that the Norman Mapeza coached outfit would be kicked out of the tournament without a win.

But after nine changes to the teams that lost to Senegal and Malawi, the team put on a stellar performance that saw them dispatch a spirited Guinea 2-1 on Tuesday night.

And as the Warriors and their fans sift through the wreckage of the latest failed campaign, a few “ifs” come to the fore.

Only “if” the team had not conceded that last-gasp penalty against Senegal.

Only “if” the team had been a little compact against Malawi and prevented the two silly goals. Only “if” Mapeza had opted against a defensive approach to the first two games and unleashed the creative force of Kuda Mahachi.

Some say “if I had done this”, is the thinking of a fool, but in this case, all hope is that the coaches learnt a thing or two from this tournament.

One of them is not to give too much respect to opponents, never mind their standing or past successes.

In this case, the Warriors — probably rightly so given the attacking and defensive prowess given the likes of Liverpool forward Sadio Mane — gave too much respect to Senegal.

And against Malawi, it would have been a combination of a defensive approach and complacency given that the Warriors have previously prevailed against the Flames.

Defensive lapses also cost the Warriors a win against Malawi, with Teenage Hadebe expected to do better than the horror show that led to the second goal.

But as the Warriors depart Cameroon, they will feel the football gods abandoned them considering that they have the most goals — three goals from open play — while group winners Senegal have just the penalty scored deep into added time against Zimbabwe.

Guinea, the second-placed team, has two goals – one scored against Malawi and the 1-2 defeat by the Warriors.

Malawi, which is in third place, has two goals, both scored against Zimbabwe.

It’s been a bizarre tournament that has seen the so-called top sides such as Ivory Coast drawing 2-2 against Sierra Leone while Ghana was kicked out of the tournament without a win.

Ghana lost to little Comoros on Tuesday night and to Gabon earlier in the tournament.