* With 4 goals, she is one behind Mamelodi Sundowns’ Refilwe Tholakele and sharing with ZESCO Ndola’s Charity Mubanga
* As ZESCO Ndola and Mamelodi Sundowns meet in the final also tomorrow to identify COSAFA representatives at the CAF Champions League 2026
By Duncan Mlanjira
Silver Strikers Ladies’ will face hosts Gaborone United in the contest for the bronze medal in tomorrow’s 3rd place play-off of the CAF Women’s Champions League-COSAFA Qualifier Botswana 2026.
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The Silver Ladies — in their debut appearance at the regional qualifiers — were eliminated in the semifinals by Zambia’s ZESCO Ndola Girls, while Gaborone United lost 0-5 to two-time African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns so far have won all their matches — first beating eSwatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs 8-0, Silver Ladies 4-0 and Mozambique’s Costa do Sol 4-1, with their strikerRefilwe Tholakele as the leading goal scorer with 5 goals in the race for the Golden Boot.
She is one goal ahead of Silver’s Carolyne Mathyola, ZESCO Ndola’s Charity Mubanga and Lucia Moçambique of Costa do Sol, who is out of contention.
Through her hat-trick and overall performance, Carolyne Mathyola won Player of the Match award
With three goals apiece and in contention, are Mamelodi Sundowns’ Lelona Daweti & Isabella Ludwig and Zambia international Eneless Phiri of ZESCO Ndola Girls.
Other scorers for Silver Strikers were Grace Kakangula with two goals and Gladys Banda and Malawi international Ireen Khumalo with one apiece.
Thus the race for the Golden Boot is wide open as the Bankers face Gaborone United tomorrow in the third-place play-off at 15h00 CAT with Mamelodi clashing with last year’s runners-up ZESCO Ndola (18h00) — both to be streamed live on FIFA+ and COSAFA’s YouTube Channel.
ZESCO booked their place in the final after goals from Penelope Mulubwa and Charity Mubanga gave them a 2-0 lead against Silver Strikers Ladies.
The Bankers pulled one back when Eneless Phiri’s clearance struck Mathyola and deflected into the net, setting up a tense finish.
The NBM Women’s Premiership 2025 champions, could not find an equaliser, though, and ZESCO held on for the win.
This was an achievement for the Bankers as they are the first Malawian women football club to qualify for the knockout stages of the CAF Women’s Champions League — and much so on their debut.
They are the third Malawian women’s team to participate in the regional qualifiers after Ntopwa Women and Ascent Soccer, who hosted the event last year.
The 3rd place play-off triumph — against Gaborone, who were the defending champions — would be a tremendous success the Silver Ladies.
Coach Patricio Kulemeka — appointed just ahead of the tournament as the Bankers clinched the NBM Women’s Premiership mentored by Andrew Chikhosi — congratulated the girls for a good run in the tournament and said the team will return with valuable lessons.
“The games are the best teacher, we have been learning after every game and we have improved so much,” he is quoted as saying by Silver Strikers Media.
“We conceded in the first half and that made us struggle to return in the match but we returned in the second half a better side.
“We have to work on defending in the first half of the match as well as penetrating in the final third because you find goals from attacking.
“Nevertheless, as Silver Strikers we are okay, it was a good run from the group stages to here. We came here for the first time and gave teams good games as our performances were solid,” Kulemeka is quoted as saying.
Patricio Kulemeka
Meanwhile, ZESCO and Mamelodi are meeting for the second time at the knockout stages after the two faced each other in the semifinal in which the Zambians won.
It remains the only time the South African side have lost in ordinary time at the regional finals since making their debut in 2021.—Extra info by COSAFA Media
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