By Advent Shoko | ZiGoats
Zimbabwe football legends Murape Murape and Alois Bunjira have urged fans to look beyond Elvis Chipezeze’s costly mistake after the Warriors slipped to a 2-1 defeat against the Democratic Republic of Congo in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Chipezeze came under heavy criticism after failing to hold a cross in the 30th minute, allowing Yoane Wissa to react first and put DRC ahead at the National Sports Stadium on Monday.
But while the goalkeeper’s error was decisive, Murape and Bunjira argue that the goal cannot be examined in isolation.
Their assessment is simple: Chipezeze made a mistake, but the defensive breakdown began before the ball reached him.
Chipezeze mistake puts Warriors behind
Zimbabwe had returned to the National Sports Stadium for their first competitive home international since November 2021, but the occasion quickly turned sour.
DRC, coming off a 2-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group E match, controlled much of the first half.
The breakthrough came after Wissa’s pressure caused problems in the Zimbabwe defence.
Chipezeze came off his line to deal with a cross but could not hold the ball. Wissa reacted quickly, pouncing on the loose ball to give the visitors the lead.
It was the kind of goal that immediately invites scrutiny of the goalkeeper.
- Could Chipezeze have held it?
- Should he have punched?
- Should he have stayed on his line?
Those questions have dominated the post-match conversation.
But Murape believes focusing solely on the final mistake misses what happened before it.
Murape: ‘Football is played by 11 players’
The former Dynamos captain acknowledged that Zimbabwe made mistakes but rejected the rush to make Chipezeze the scapegoat.
Murape argued that once the goalkeeper commits to coming off his line, the defenders around him have a responsibility to cover the space behind him.
“On the first goal, if Elvis comes off his line, there has to be defensive cover behind him,” Murape said.
“When the goalkeeper commits to the ball, one of the defenders has to recognise the situation and cover the space behind him.”
For Murape, the wider issue is how Zimbabwe defended the entire sequence rather than simply what Chipezeze did at the end of it.
“That is why I don’t understand the rush to make Elvis Chipezeze the scapegoat.”
He added:
“Football is played by 11 players.”
Murape also pointed to the Warriors’ second goal conceded as evidence that the defeat involved more than one individual error.
Zimbabwe lost possession in an advanced area and DRC punished them almost immediately, with Wissa turning provider for Samuel Moutoussamy, who doubled the visitors’ advantage in first-half stoppage time.
The timing was particularly damaging, leaving Zimbabwe two goals down at the break.
“Had we gone into the break 1–0 down, the second half could have been a completely different game,” Murape said.
Bunjira also questions the defending
Murape’s argument was echoed, in part, by former Warriors star Alois Bunjira.
Bunjira did not completely absolve Chipezeze. He acknowledged that the goalkeeper could have dealt with the cross differently.
But he also questioned why the DRC player delivering the cross was allowed so much room in the first place.
“Chipezeze failed to hold onto the ball from the cross. Or maybe he could have punched it,” Bunjira said.
He then turned attention to the defenders.
Bunjira argued that the Zimbabwean players responsible for closing down the crosser and providing support failed to do their jobs effectively.
“How on earth did they let him cross that ball? That was some serious slack marking right there,” he said.
His point adds another layer to the debate.
A goalkeeper can be judged on his decision-making and execution, but crosses do not appear out of nowhere. Defensive pressure on the player delivering the ball can reduce the danger before it reaches the goalkeeper.
That is the sequence Murape wants supporters to examine.
DRC punish Warriors before late fightback
The first goal was not the only problem for Zimbabwe.
DRC remained dangerous and doubled their advantage shortly before half-time.
Wissa, who had already scored, turned provider by sending Moutoussamy through to score from inside the box.
The Newcastle United forward was central to almost everything dangerous from the visitors, even coming close to completing a hat-trick after the break when he struck the woodwork.
Zimbabwe improved after half-time and showed more urgency, but the deficit proved too large.
Marshall Munetsi finally gave the home side hope when he scored in the third minute of added time.
There was, however, not enough time to complete another comeback after Zimbabwe had produced a dramatic 3-2 recovery against Sierra Leone in their opening qualifier.
DRC held on for the three points and moved to six points from two matches at the top of Group E. Zimbabwe remained on three points.
More than a goalkeeper’s mistake
For Chipezeze, the criticism is unlikely to disappear.
The first goal was undoubtedly costly, and the goalkeeper will know he could have dealt with the cross better.
But that does not necessarily make him solely responsible for the defeat.
That is the central point being made by Murape and Bunjira.
Zimbabwe conceded twice before half-time, and both goals followed situations that involved more than one player. The first exposed questions around pressure on the crosser, defensive cover and Chipezeze’s handling. The second came after Zimbabwe lost possession in an advanced area and were punished quickly.
Murape believes the Warriors must therefore resist the temptation to find one player to blame.
“We need to look at the build-up to the goals, the defensive organisation, the loss of possession, the positioning and the decisions made by the whole team,” he said.
The former captain also urged patience with a team still developing.
“This is a new Warriors team. Give them the opportunity to learn, correct the mistakes and grow together.”
That may be particularly relevant after a match in which Zimbabwe faced a DRC side that had already started the qualifying campaign with a win and had recently competed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Warriors did eventually find a response, but it came too late.
The lesson from the defeat, according to the two former stars, is therefore bigger than Chipezeze.
Goalkeeping errors must be analysed. Defensive mistakes must be corrected. Possession must be protected.
But if Zimbabwe are to grow into a competitive AFCON side, the responsibility has to be shared.
As Murape put it:
“You win together. You lose together. You improve together.”
For Chipezeze, the debate may continue. For the Warriors, the bigger task is making sure the same defensive mistakes do not become a recurring story.
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