Namibia’s Brave Gladiators squeezed into the semi-finals of the Cosafa Women Championships thanks to Madagascar’s 2-0 victory against Mozambique on Wednesday.
That result has left all three teams in group C on three points with one win each, but Namibia topped the log on goal difference, with a +1 goal aggregate, followed by Mozambique on 0 and Madagascar on -1.
Namibia had earlier beaten Mozambique 2-0, but lost 1-0 to Madagascar.
Namibia will now face the defending champions Zambia in the first semi-final at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane at 12h00 today, while South Africa will face Zimbabwe in the second semi-final at the same venue at 15h00.
Zambia finished on top of group B on seven points, after winning two and drawing one of their matches.
They opened their campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Botswana on 19 February, but were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe three days later.
On 24 February they completed their group stages with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Eswatini.
With that they qualified for the semi-finals as the group B winners, but they just edged Zimbabwe, who also finished on seven points, with a better goal aggregate.
Zimbabwe had earlier beaten Eswatini 2-0 and Botswana 1-0, but Zambia topped the group with a +4 goal aggregate compared to Zimbabwe’s +3 aggregate.
Zimbabwe, however, also made it through to the semi-finals as the best placed runner-up and will now face the hosts South Africa, who topped group A with seven points, finishing just ahead of Malawi on six points,.
South Africa beat both Malawi and Angola 2-0, but were held to a 1-1 draw by Lesotho in their final group match on 24 February.
Namibia will head into today’s match as the underdogs against the defending champions, while Zambia also has the better head-to-head record, with three wins, one defeat and one draw.
They met twice in 2006, drawing their group match 2-2, while Namibia won the semifinal on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
That put Namibia through to the final for the first (and only) time where they lost on penalties to South Africa after a 3-3 full-time score.
In recent years though Zambia have held the upper hand, beating Namibia 3-2 in 2019, 3-0 in 2021, and 2-0 in 2022.
Namibia, however, have a strong team this year with a fine mixture of youth and experience.
Zenatha Coleman, who is currently playing professionally in Cyprus, remains Namibia’s most successful foreign-based player, while their squad includes other experienced players like captain Lovisa Mulunga, goalkeeper Melissa Matheus, wingback Iina Katuta and striker Ivonne Kooper.
They, however, also have several exciting youngsters coming through like the powerful striker Leena Alweendo, defender Utuzuvera Kahiriri and forward Muhinatjo Hanavi, as well as the exciting Nancy Lebang, who won the Golden Boot award at last year’s Cosafa u17 Championship.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
