Herentals quartet seek COSAFA redemption

Tadious Manyepo

Sports Reporter

Herentials Queens are still cursing their luck after flattering to deceive in their debut international tournament in August.

“Vagoni Vebasa’’ made their bow in the CAF Women’s Champions League Cosafa qualifier in Blantyre, Malawi, and for once made a mockery of the odds with some fine performances.

Placed in Group B alongside pre-tournament favourites Green Buffaloes of Zambia, regulars FC Ongos of Namibia and eventual winners University of Western Cape from South Africa, the Student Queens looked like lambs to the slaughter, at least on paper. But coach Simba Dedza’s charges played with the authority of veterans, beating FC Ongos and sending Green Buffaloes packing as they progressed to the semi-finals.

They did put on a brave display against Botswana’s Gaborone United in the last four, but it was not good enough as they conceded very late in the encounter to lose 1-0 and exit the platform.

The two-time domestic champions have not fully recovered from the pain as they missed on the chance to be crowned the best club in the region and the ticket that comes with it to represent the COSAFA zone in the CAF Women’s Champions League finals in Morocco next month. Four members from the club, who are well on their way to winning the championship for the third season on the bounce, have a chance to put that pain behind them.

Strikers Maudy Mafuruse, defenders Alice Moyo and Egnes Tumbare and midfielder Shyline Dambamuromo are part of the Mighty Warriors team set to participate at the COSAFA Women’s Championship in Gqeberha, South Africa, from Tuesday to November 2.

Zimbabwe return to the regional championship, which this year has a record 14 participants, for the second time after the lifting of the FIFA suspension on the country that resulted in them missing out in 2022. The squad reached the semi-finals on their return to the competition in Gauteng last year. Now they are in Group D along with Eswatini and Mozambique.

Ironically, Mozambique eliminated them 2-0 in the third-place play-off at the Lucas Moripe Stadium last October.

The trio of Mafuruse, Dambamuromo and Moyo was part of the team last year where the current head coach, Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda, was assistant to Shadreck Mlauzi. And they will be looking at not only helping Zimbabwe to better their performance from last year, but win the tournament to assuage their pain from the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifier in Malawi.

“I am looking at it in that way. Remember, as Herentals Queens we represented the country in Malawi in the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifier last August,” said Mafuruse.

“We painfully exited the competition at a point when we thought we had a chance to progress and win the crown. The pain is still all over the place and fresh in our minds. It is my hope that it will be erased completely if we manage to win the COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa.

“I hope as a team we will improve our showing from last year in this tournament.

“Look, last year it was our first time competing at Cosafa after coming from the ban. We did well, but it was not what we wanted. We wanted to win it, but it’s not every time that you should come from your slumber and get going. I believe we have a good chance this time around and we will work hard to perform well.”

Tumbare and Moyo, who mesmerised and made the CAF Champions League Cosafa qualifier team of the tournament, are expected to play key roles and they
are hoping for better luck in national team colours, and so is the veteran Dambamuromo. The Mighty Warriors ensemble is working hard going into the tournament where several countries, including defending champions Malawi, have called up their strongest squads, making the contest a really enticing prospect.

Sibanda is optimistic of the Mighty Warriors’ prospects. “There is a lot of commitment among the players,” she said of her team.

“They are putting in the work and we are working on all aspects of the game. We are very confident of our prospects.”

Sibanda yesterday released the final travelling party that will do duty at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. ZIFA hosted a luncheon for the Mighty Warriors at which they had a chance to interact with the visiting FIFA/CAF delegation that is in the country for the association’s annual meeting.

Final squad

Goalkeepers:

Vanessa Lunga

Cynthia Shonga

Precious Mudyiwa

 

Defenders:

Egness Tumbare

Purity Mugayi

Sheila Antonio

Nobukhosi Ncube

Alice Moyo

 

Midfielders:

Morelife Nyagumbo

Ennety Chemhere

Daisy Kaitano

Peacemore Kepende

Natasha Ndowa

Shyline Bambamuromo

Nadia Semba

Edeline Mutumbami

Tanyaradzwa Chihoro

Patience Ndlovu

Forwards:

Ethel Chinyerere

Maudy Maturuse

Privilege Muneti

Christabel Katona

Mitchell John