The 2023 Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship has hit the ground running with the group stages being wrapped up and countries gearing up for the knockout stages. Banyana Banyana were eliminated after finishing second in the group behind Malawi. Here is a preview of the semi-final clashes.
The defending champions Zambia did not have a good start on their campaign as they were held to a goalless draw by Mozambique. Coach made several significant changes and ensured that they regrouped and got back to their winning ways. Zimbabwe on the other side won their opener against Lesotho 1-0.
Zambia
The Copper Queens played a 0-0 draw against Mozambique in their opening match which they were dominated from the start. The second half saw coach Florence Nkatya making significant substitutions to break the opponent’s defence however no goals were produced in the match.
Zambia came into the second match against Angola with five changes in their starting eleven and it paid out as the newly introduced players were crucial in the three goals that they managed to score. The match ended 3-1 with Zambia getting their first win in the tournament through goals by Sarah Jere who netted twice and Jackline Nkole who scored another goal.
Zambia confirmed their semi-final spot by defeating the already-knocked-out Comoros 5-1. Comoros came to this match prepared as they held the Zambians to a 1-1 draw during the half-time mark. Friday Kabwe scored a hattrick, and captain Lushomo Mwemba and Sarah Jere also registered their names on the scoreboard and booked their place in the semis.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe returned to the tournament after a hiatus with a 1-0 win over Lesotho in the Group C opener at Lucas Moripe Stadium with substitute Privilege Mupeti scoring the only goal in the match. Zimbabwe dominated the match and could have scored more goals however; the Lesotho defence could not allow it. The Warriors topped the group after Botswana and Namibia played a 1-1 draw.
With Group C being dubbed as the “group of death” for the tournament, all the teams came out strong and fought tooth and nail to book their spot in the next round. The Warriors faced a formidable Namibian side in their second match and came out victorious 2-0. They closed off their group stages campaign with a 1-1 draw against Botswana.
Malawi (v Mozambique)
Malawi started the tournament like a house on fire dominating the host nation and shocking them into a 4-3 defeat at Lucas Moripe Stadium in their opening match of the competition. This came after striker Temwa Chawinga scored a hattrick and Leticia Chinyamula scored the opener to secure the win for the Scorchers.
Lovemore Fazili’s ladies continued with their dominance in the tournament by demolishing Eswatini 8-0 with Sabina Thom scoring a brace, Carolyne Mathyola and Rose Kadzere also added their names to the score sheet. Temwa Chawinga became the star of the show after scoring four goals in the match which saw her occupying the top goal-scorer position in the tournament with a total of seven goals in two matches.
The Scorchers went into the final group stages match having already booked their spot in the semi-final. They faced Madagascar at UJ Soweto Stadium and defeated them 3-1 with Vanessa Chikupila, Leticia Chinyamula and Asimenye Simwaka finding the back of the net while the consolation goal for Madagascar was scored by Helisoa Kanto.
Mozambique (v Malawi)
Mozambique managed to hold the defending champions Zambia to a goalless draw in their opening match for the tournament after dominating ball possession in the early stages of the match, however; the Zambian defence proved to be too strong to allow any goal-threatening chances. This was the first and only match in the tournament to end without a goal being scored.
Heading to the second match against Comoros, Mozambique were desperate for a win to be able to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Comoros netted first within ten minutes into the first half with Anllaouia Ali’s goal. However, Mozambique came back and scored an equaliser through Deolinda Gove who also scored a penalty to complete her brace. They then secured a win through Emilia Cazembe’s spectacular goal five minutes before the end of the match.
The Mambas headed into the Group B decider match against Angola boasting with confidence after their win against Comoros and were yet to taste defeat in the competition. They defeated Angola 1-0 through a late penalty that was scored by Amelia Banze. This win meant that they qualified into the last four as the best runners-up in the tournament with 7 points.
This is a must-watch as both teams have proven not to be taken lightly and are yet to taste defeat. Malawi will be looking to keep their 100% winning record until they lift the trophy while Mozambique will also be aiming to win the cup without suffering a loss. Both matches will be played at Lucas Moripe stadium with the first match kicking off at 12h00 and the second semi-final starting at 15H30.
To witness the action live, fans can come to the stadium early and collect their free tickets (limited to four per person) and the games will also be broadcast on SuperSport channels including their DSTV Stream platform. The games can also be streamed live via FIFA+ and on SABC Sport’s DTT Channel 4.