The girls after training at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday
* We are prepared and everyone is geared for the opening game and the tournament in general
* As defending Champions, we know that teams are going to come hard on us but the girls are here to defend the championship
* As eSwatini, South Africa win their opening matches with eSwatini leading Group A with a huge goal difference of 6
Maravi Express
All eyes will be upon Malawi Scorchers to see if they will be able to defend their first-ever COSAFA Women’s Championship as they face Botswana this afternoon at 15h00 CAT while the other Group B is between Madagascar and Mauritius at 12h00 CAT — to be streamed live on FIFA+.
The COSAFA Women’s Championship 2024 edition got underway yesterday in Group A that saw eSwatini leading on goal difference after beating debutantes Seychelles 6-0 while South Africa edged neighbours Namibia 1-0.
Malawi lifted the 2023 edition after winning all their games — thus all eyes will be upon them beginning with the game against Botswana, whom — according to COSAFA Media platform — the Scorchers have had some tough tussles with down the years, including a 1-1 draw in 2022 and a 0-2 loss in 2018.
A report by Fam.mw says the Scorchers had their first training session at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday and quotes coach Lovemore Fazili as saying his charges are ready for the campaign.
“We are prepared and everyone is geared for the opening game and the tournament in general,” he is quoted as saying. “As defending champions, we know that teams are going to come hard on us but the girls are here to defend the championship.
“We have played with all our opponents before and they have very good players just like we do. Botswana were at WAFCON and we know that they are a strong side but we be our at our best to get maximum points,” said the coach.
Fam.mw takes note that the Scorchers have faced a setback in preparation for the tournament as six the foreign-based players who were called into camp did not make it.
Temwa and Tabitha
They include the top-notch sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga; Chimwemwe Madise; Ireen Khumalo; Chioma Okafor and Vitumbiko Mkandawire — who have been ruled out to their club engagements.
Only Mary Chavinda and Vanessa Chikupira who play in Zambia have joined the squad while TP Mazembe’s Sabina Thom is expected to arrive today making her unable to feature in the match against Botswana.
Fazili, however, told Fam.mw that the absence of the seven foreign-based players will not affect the team very much as he has taken on board some players whom he believes will fit into the shoes.
“We already had plan B in case they don’t show up and we trust the squad that we have travelled with this time and the team is very strong.”
Tabitha also missed the COSAFA Women’s Championship 2023 due to club engagements and her captaincy was ably handled by her sister Temwa, who walked away with the Golden Boot having scored nine goals and was also voted Player of the Tournament.
The Scorchers won their COSAFA Women’s Championship title for the first time after beating Zambia 2-1 and recorded a 100% record as they qualifed for the semifinals having won their group matches before going on to beat Mozambique in the last four.
The Scorchers first beat 2022 finalists and favourites, 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 set her sights for the Golden Boot she finally won.
Other scorers for the Scorchers at the tournament were 3 from Sabinah Thom; 2 each are from Leticia Chinyamula and Asimenye Simwaka and one each from Vanessa Chikupira, Rose Kadzere and Carolyne Mathyola.
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Meanwhile, Day 1 of the COSAFA Women’s Championship 2024 saw eSwatini’s Tenanile Ngcamphalala scoring the first hat-trick, one goal coming in the first half and the other two in the second stanza, while captain Celiwe Nkambule grabbed a brace and Nokuthula Ndlovu scored the other one.
The score could have been higher as coach Bongani Makhukhula’s charges had a goal disallowed in the first half.
In the later kick-off, hosts South Africa scored late on to defeat 2022 semi-finalists Namibia with COSAFA Media taking note that the Banyana Banyana have brought a fairly inexperienced squad that could not convert several chances, especially in the opening half.—Content by Fam.mw & COSAFA Media; edited by Maravi Express
eSwatini celebrate one of the six goals scored