100% record for Malawi’s Scorchers at 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship after beating Madagascar 3-1

* Next date Mozambique in the semifinals as South Africa  beat Eswatini but bow out

* We have to work hard and be focused to qualify for the final—coach Lovemore Fazili

* We should not relax and start thinking  that we are already champions

Maravi Express

Malawi Scorchers, who were first to qualify for the semifinals of 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship having won their two group matches, have recorded a 100% record of the group stages by beating Madagascar 3-1 on Tuesday and will next face Mozambique in the last four.

The Scorchers first beat last year’s finalists South Africa’s Banyana-Banyana 4-3 before annihilating eSwatini 8-0 in their second match in which Temwa Chawinga was the star of the show as she netted four to become the top scorer with 7 goals as she eyes the Golden Boot.

Malawi sent Madagascar packing with a 3-1 victory through goals from Vanessa Chikupila, Leticia Chinyamula and Asimenye Simwaka while  Helisoa Kanto scored the consolation from the penalty spot for Madagascar, who exited without registering a single point.

The Scorchers finished top of Group A with nine points from three matches, three points above second-placed South Africa, who claimed  3-0 win over eSwatini in another match.

Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili is quoted by Fam.mw as urging his charges to raise their game in the semi-finals, saying: “We have to work hard and be focused to qualify for the final. We should not relax and start thinking  that we are already champions.

“We do not know much about Mozambique but we have to be seriousand be ready for them,” said Fazili, who was also pleased that the Scorchers finished the group stage with three wins.

“We were in tough group considering that we were playing against hosts South Africa but after we beat them, we had confidence that we can go through.  We managed to get nine points which is a good record for us,” he said.

Fazili rested some key players against Madagascar including captain Temwa Chawinga, Madyina Ngulube, Lyna James and Chimwemwe Madise.

Mozambique booked a semifinal berth with Malawi after they finished as the overall best runner-up after beating Angola 1-0 at Dobsonville Stadium,  to qualify with seven points  from three matches,  behind defending champions Zambia on goal-difference.

Zambia will face Group C winners between Zimbabwe and Botswana who will meet tomorrow with Zimbabwe are at the summit with six points and Botswana  behind them with four points while Namibia and Lesotho will play for pride in the dead rubber last match.

South Africa beat eSwatini 3-0 to finish second in Group A with six points but was not enough to qualify as best runners-up. Even the hat-trick from Thubelishle Shamase couldn’t reach Temwa’s seven goals as she has finished with five.

Meanwhile, Zambia and Mozambique confirmed their places in the semifinals after wins over Comoros and Angola respectively in the deciding Group B matches.

Defending champions Zambia were forced to kick into second gear by Comoros, who came into their decider already eliminated as they held them to 1-1 draw at the break.

Fridah Kabwe, who netted a hattrick, opened the scoring for Zambia in the opening 20 minutes, but that goal was cancelled by Mohamed Rouika four minutes before half time.

When they returned after the break, Kabwe completed her brace two minutes before the hour mark, which was then followed by a quick goal from captain Lushomo Mwemba a minute later.

With 16 minutes left on the clock, ZESCO United star Kabwe scored her third goal, but Zambia were not done as Sarah Jere converted a penalty four minutes to the final whistle at the University of Johannesburg in Soweto.

The result means coach Florence Nkatya’s changers finish top of the group, tied on seven points with Mozambique, who defeated Angola in the Lusophone derby in the other decider played at Dobsonville stadium.

Mozambique needed a late penalty from Amelia Banze to win and finish as best runners up at their coach’s former ground.

The outcome eliminated any chances of teams in Group A, especially South Africa and eSwatini to qualify for the knockout phase as they could only reach six points.

From 16 matches played, 57 goals were scored with the biggest victory by Malawi’s 8-0 victory against eSwatini with Temwa Chawinga, who was rested against Madagascar, leading with
7 goals, followed by 5 by Thubelihle  Shamase (South Africa); 3 by Sarah Jere and Fridah Kabwe (both Zambia) and 2 from Malawi’s  Leticia Chinyamula and Sabinah Thom as well as Deolinda Gove (Mozambique), Luvunga (Angola) and Kesegofetse Mochawe (Botswana).

Single goal scorers from Malawi are Vanessa Chikupira, Rose Kadzere, Carolyne Mathyola and Asimenye Simwaka.—Info by Fam.mw & COSAFA Women’s Championship website