History was made on Monday at Setsoto Stadium when Zimbabwe became the first Southern African Under-18 soccer champions as their Young Warriors clinched a gold medal at the end of the inaugural Anoca Zone Six Games.

Zimbabwe's Young Warriors clinched the gold medal after beating Botswana in the soccer final on the last day of the five-day Games.

Coach Rodwell Dhlakama's boys came out unscathed in the six-team soccer competition. They first beat regional arch-rivals Zambia 2-0, outplayed Swaziland 3-1 to emerge as Group B winners and qualified for Monday's final against Botswana.

And the Young Warriors duly put the icing on the cake by beating Group A winners Botswana in a tightly-contested final.

The match ended in a 1-1 stalemate after regulation time and the two sides went straight into the dreaded penalty shoot-out where Noel Soko, Erick Chipeta, Billiart Khama, Archieford Gutu and Lincoln Zvasiya showed some nerves of steel by burying home all the five penalties for the Young Warriors.

Botswana's first penalty taker Kgaodi Odirile had his effort superbly saved by Zimbabwe Under-18 goalkeeper Francis Nico who, however, could not stop the other efforts from Dako Lekgari, Galabgwe Moyana, Gofaone Molapi and Tebogo Kenosi.

And when Zvasiya fired home the Young Warriors' fifth and last penalty, there was some boundless joy in the Zimbabwean camp as every member of the team, including the athletics side, ran onto the pitch to join the Warriors in celebrating what will go down as one of the most memorable achievements in their young careers.

Coach Dhlakama just shed tears of joy soon after the penalty shoot-out as he and team manager Bekithemba "Far" Ndlovu hugged each and every member of the victorious team.

The two teams could not be separated in the second half in which Botswana kept the Young Warriors' rearguard under pressure with some long balls from the back.

And the Young Warriors had goalkeeper Nico to thank for keeping them in the game after he pulled off two brilliant saves towards the end of the game.

Meanwhile, the gold medal that the Young Warriors won on Monday brought to four the medals that Zimbabwe collected at the end of the Anoca Zone Six Under-18 Games.

The first three gold medals were won by the athletics team through boys middle-distance runner Jonathan Chinyoka, the girls 4x100m relay team and boys high jumper Michael Taapatsa.