Can we break the jinx?

victory against Banyana Banyana in the grand finale to the historic 2011 Cosafa Women Championships at Rufaro today.
The match kicks off at 3.15.

Tanzania and Malawi clash in a third-and-fourth place playoff at the same venue at 12.30pm.
Zimbabwe and South Africa clashed in the inaugural Cosafa tournament held here in 2002 and the hosts lost 2-1.
Veronica Phewa scored for South Africa before Zimbabwe equalised via Pretty Phiri.

But 2005 Fifa World Player of the Year nominee, Portia Modise, broke the hearts of the local fans when she struck the winning goal just before the final whistle.
Zimbabwe coach Rosemary Mugadza was the skipper of that Mighty Warriors team.
In the second Cosafa Championships, in Lusaka in 2006, Zimbabwe were also eliminated after losing 1-4 to Banyana Banyana. And two years later in Angola, the Mighty Warriors lost 2-1 to their neighbours in the group stages.

They have also met in African Women Championships qualifiers, Olympic qualifiers and friendly matches and on all occasions Zimbabwe have failed to beat South Africa.
Since returning to the international scene last October, the Mighty Warriors have lost twice to South Africa, losing 4-0 in an international friendly in Johannesburg and 3-0 in a Unity Day Cup tie here on December 22.

But since those back-to-back defeats, as the Mighty Warriors were regrouping under a new leadership, the team has never lost a match.
They beat Zambia 4-1 on aggregate in the All-Africa Games before dismissing Angola 3-1 on aggregate to qualify for the Maputo Games in September. And, in this fourth edition of the Cosafa Women Championships, they have managed to beat Lesotho (4-0), Malawi (8-2) Mozambique (3-0) and Tanzania 4-2 on penalties.

But the team’s unbeaten run would be under serious scrutiny, this afternoon against a South African side, which has lost once in 12 matches under Joseph Mkhonza’s tutelage.
Interestingly, the last Mighty Warriors defeat was Mkhonza’s first match in charge of Banyana Banyana following the sacking of former Orlando Pirates’ midfielder Augustine Makalakane.
Zimbabwe coach Mugadza believes the time is now ripe for the Mighty Warriors to beat their neighbours and end South Africa’s dominance.

Yesterday Mugadza was unfazed by the record and wants her team to lift the title on home soil.
“We need to win the game in the first half and there is no need for the girls to put themselves under pressure. We know how South Africans play. They have talented strikers in captain Amanda (Dlamini) and Noku (Matlou) and their defence passes the ball but we will compress the midfield. They are also good at heading and we have been working on defending these ascpects of their game and other areas,” said Mugadza.

The gaffer said though it would be a big setback, without her regular rightback Eunice Chibanda in this crucial encounter, they will have to make do with the players on hand.
The coach also revealed that she is likely to ring the changes upfront where the strikeforce of Rudo Neshamba and Rufaro Machingura failed to bury chances which came their way against Tanzania.
“We are likely to put Tsitsi or Patience Mujuru on the right back position and Emmaculate Msipa will come into the midfield.

“The strikeforce, which let us down, is also going to change with one of them paving way for Erina Jeke or Kuda Basopo.
“They missed clear chances in the opening stages which could have changed the complexion of the game.
“We need people who are mobile against the South Africa defence,” said Mugadza.

The former captain said Machingura, who has banged in seven goals in this tournament and is the leading scorer, put herself under unnecessary pressure in the match against the Twiga Stars.
“A player can have a bad day and Talent (Mandaza) was not at her usual best while Rudo and Rufaro failed to convert chances.
“Rufaro tried to hard and exerted too much pressure on herself while Tsitsi, who had received a knock in the opening match, was not committing herself but she came out of her shell in the second half. But we had a chat this morning with the players and told them they should just play their normal game,” said Mugadza.

Mugadza paid tribute to star midfielder Marjoury Nyaumwe who made the difference in the match against East Africans.
“The last two games Marjoury has really played well doing all the donkey work, lifting the team and I hope the other players in midfield will complement her efforts.”
While Mugadza’s team has a clean bill of health ahead of the crunch tie, South Africa is walking wounded.

Coach Mkhonza said four players were expected to pass late fitness tests.
“Our second choice goalkeeper is injured as well as Nomathemba Ntsibande and Simphiwe Masina who came off limping in the last match while Mamello Makhabane did not even play in the last game,” he said.

The soft-spoken mentor said the hosts have improved a lot and they will not underestimate the Mighty Warriors.
“Since the last time we played them in December they have improved a lot.

“They are now one of the best teams in the Southern region and their match against Tanzania was the best match in this tournament.
“We are here to win the trophy but we know it will not be easy. Zimbabwe will take advantage of the 12th man – the fans.

“But we actually want that kind of atmosphere and the conditions because we will play away against Ethiopia in the London 2012 Olympic qualifier so this is actually good for us,” said Mkhonza.
Banyana Banyana have brought an experienced side laced with youth and are missing five foreign-based players to make it their full strength squad, which came third at the African Championships, to just miss out on a place at the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Germany.

Russia-based players Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Busisiwe Ndiweni and Veronica Phewa and United States-based duo of Kyle Ann Louw and Roxanne Barker are expected to join the team for the crucial last qualifying round against Ethiopia next month.

South African women soccer boss Nomsa Mahlangu and her local counterpart Mavis Gumbo, who enjoy a special relationship, will be foes for 90 minutes as their teams fight for regional bragging rights.
Probable team

Zimbabwe: O. Chingawo, R. Mutyavaviri, N. Majika, D. Bhobho, T. Mairosi, T. Mandaza, N. Ndlovu, E. Msipa, M. Nyaumwe, R. Neshamba, E. Jeke.
Today
Tanzania v Malawi (Rufaro, 12.30pm).
Zimbabwe v South Africa (Rufaro, 3.15pm).