However, they had to be at their best to get maximum points from the Eagles who had claimed a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in their opening game as well.
The Indomitable Lions settled early and took a deserved lead after just six minutes. 26-year-old midfielder Anthony Mfede picked the run of Banga who managed to find the back of the net to give the home fans something to celebrate.
The lead lasted just six minutes, and concentration lapses allowed Samake into a good area and he did not disappoint. He managed to put his team onto level terms and ensured the spoils are shared.
Zimbabwe (1) 1
ZIMBABWE are out of the 2021 African Nations Championships (AFCON) after collapsing in the second half to suffer their second successive defeat in Group A against Burkina Faso in Yaounde, Cameroon on Wednesday night.
After losing 1-0 to hosts Cameroon in the opening match of the tournament on Saturday, the locally based band of Warriors needed to avoid defeat in their second match to keep their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals alive.
In the end, it was Burkina Faso who were celebrating as they revived their hopes of reaching the quarter finals with a comfortable win over a depleted Warriors side which was missing several key players due to injuries and illness after the opening match.
Warriors crash out
BURKINA FASO . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 3
ZIMBABWE became the first team to crash out of this year’s African Nations Championships (Chan) tournament after they were beaten 3-1 by Burkina Faso in a Group A match at the Ahmadou Ahdjo Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon, last night.
Issouf Sosso gave the Burkinabes a 14th minute lead, which was cancelled out by Partson Jaure 10 minutes later.
But second half goals by Clavert Tiendrebeogo in the 53rd minute and substitute Issiaka Ouedraogo in the 67th minute saw the Stallions beat Zimbabwe for the first time in a competitive match at the fifth attempt.
The defeat means the Warriors are out after they lost their opening match against Cameroon on Saturday.
CHAN 2020 : le Burkina Faso reprend vie et élimine le Zimbabwe afrik-foot.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from afrik-foot.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Decisive Week for Warriors CHAN Squad
January 7, 2021
COVID-19 hit Warriors are scheduled to be re-tested for the ailment tomorrow with those returning positive results set to be replaced as the biannual Chan football tournament dates draw closer.
The tournament, which was originally slated to run between April 4-25 last year in Cameroon but cancelled due to the deadly virus, is now pencilled for January 16 to February 7 in the West African nation.
But the Warriors preparations for what will be their fifth appearance at the fiesta reserved for players plying their trade in their domestic leagues were thrown upside-down when nine players and five officials, including coach Zdravko Logarusic, tested positive for coronavirus.