Scorchers’ Deborah Henry and Ireen Khumalo also make it into COSAFA Women’s Championship 2026 final Best XI

* Despite the Scorchers exiting in group stages in which both players were named in the Group Stage Best XI

By Duncan Mlanjira

Malawi Scorchers’ Deborah Henry and Ireen Khumalo have also been named in the COSAFA Women’s Championship 2026 final Best XI have been selected in the Group Stage Best XI.

Zimbabwe dominated the Group Stage Best XI with three players; goalkeeper Cynthia Shonga and defenders Nobukhosi Ncube and Agnes Tumbare, with only  Tumbare remaining in the final Best XI alongside Rutendo Makore.

Makore scored consolation goal when Zimbabwe lost 1-2 to Zambia in 3rd place playoff, adding her tally of goals to three to claim the Golden Boot.

Deborah Henry, Ireen Khumalo and Lesotho’s Makhotso Moalosi also scored three goals each but they did not count as they exited in group stages and Moalosi, who was also in the Group Stage Best XI, has also been retained in the final squad.

Other players who have been retained in the final Best XI are Zambia’s Eneles Phiri and Namibia’s Zenatha Coleman, who was named Player of the Tournament while her teammate Melissa Matheus won the Golden Glove and made it into the final squad.

Also in the final Best XI as new faces are Namibia’s Lovisa Mulunga, South Africa’s Nthabiseng Majiya and Zambia’s Margaret Belem — under coach, Namibia’s Lesly Luckey Hatzenberg, who led her team to their first COSAFA Women’s Championship title by beating record 7-time winners, South Africa 2-1 in Sunday’s final.

Namibia have joined Malawi and Zimbabwe with one title each. Malawi earned it in 2023 after being runners-up in 2021 while Zimbabwe clinched it in 2011 with two runners-up in 2002, 2017.

South Africa won the title 7 times (2002, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and were runners-up 4 times (2011, 2022, 2024, 2025) while outgoing champions Zambia lifted it twice (2022, 2024) and runners-up twice (2019, 2023).