* After losing 0-3 to South Africa’s and two-time African champions Mamelodi Sundowns
* While Mozambique’s Costa do Sol beat debutants Nsingizini Hotspurs of eSwatini 3-1
By Duncan Mlanjira
In their last Group match of the CAF Women’s Champions League-COSAFA Qualifier tomorrow, Silver Ladies need to beat fellow tournament debutants Nsingizini Hotspurs of eSwatini if they are to progress to the semifinals after losing 0-3 to South Africa’s and two-time African champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday evening.
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In their first match, the NBM Women’s Premiership champions came from a goal behind to beat Mozambique’s Costa do Sol 2-1, whom they share 3 points after the Mozambicans beat Nsingizini Hotspurs 3-1.
Mamelodi Sundowns thrashed Nsingizini Hotspurs 8-0 in the opening match and with the victory over Silver, they have put one foot into the semi-finals as they top Group B with six points — and need only avoid defeat against Costa do Sol to guarantee their place in the semi-finals.
In the event that Nsingizini Hotspurs will claim a sufficiently large win over Silver Ladies and Sundowns beat Costa do Sol, it will leave three sides on three points, with the relevant tiebreak criteria then deciding who advances.
For the moment, Silver are ahead of Costa do Sol on their head-to-head account with Hotspurs not mathematically out of the running as the top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals.
A report by COSAFA Media indicates that Sundowns’ victory came via two spectacular goals from Karabo Dhlamini, the first a brilliant strike from 30 yards and the second a superb free-kick.
Isabella Ludwig’s header in the second half made it 3-0 as the 2021 and 2023 African champions eased to victory.
Costa do Sol claimed their win thanks to a brace from Lucia Moçambique and a third goal via Nadia Farranguana.
Lucia Gaonwe scored the first goal in the competition for Hotspurs, but it was not enough as they suffered a second defeat on their tournament debut.
This afternoon at the Gaborone United Stadium are final round of matches in Group A, where ZESCO Ndola Girls and defending champions Gaborone United have already sealed their semi-final places.
Herentals Queens of Zimbabwe face Lesotho Defence Force at 16h00 with both sides already out of contention for the semi-finals but looking to finish their campaigns on a high.
Herentals have shown themselves to be competitive at this level, while Lesotho Defence Force will be seeking a strong finish on their return to the regional qualifier.
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The focus then switches to the battle for top spot when hosts Gaborone United meet ZESCO at 19h00 with both teams have six points from their opening two matches.
But Zambia’s ZESCO have the superior goal difference, meaning a draw will be enough for the Zambian side to finish top of the pool — and that could potentially allow them to avoid Sundowns in the semi-finals, while Gaborone United must win to take first place.
The clash is also a repeat of last year’s final, when Gaborone United edged ZESCO on penalties to claim the regional title, adding another layer of intrigue to Monday’s contest.
All games will be streamed live on FIFA+ and COSAFA’s YouTube Channel to a global audience.—Additional reporting by COSAFA Media
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