Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HERENTALS utility player Bridget Mutaurwa says the Queen Students were ready to face anyone in the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifiers before yesterday’s draw.
The Harare side will, for the second season running, represent the country in the regional qualifier to be staged at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa from August 22-31.
At a draw conducted in South Africa yesterday, they were pooled in Group C along tricky opponents Clube de Desportos da Costa do Sol of Mozambique and Comoros’ Olympic De Moroni.
There are three groups in this year’s qualifier with South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns headlining Group A, which has four teams.
Two teams will progress from Group A, while Groups B and C have three teams each and only the table-toppers advance.
While the Mozambican giants present a potential banana skin for the Zimbabweans, Mutaurwa said her team had always been expecting and had braced to face any side.
“Yea, the draw is fair, as I see it, as Herentals Queens see it,’’ Mutaurwa said.
“Actually, we always expected to face any team at this regional qualifier because it’s a tournament for champions.
“There are no weak champions, isn’t it?” she quipped.
“We are the Zimbabwe champions and obviously that means a lot for us.
“We have the hopes of over 16 million people on our shoulders and there is no way we were going to say, no we wanted this or this other team.
“We are actually happy that we now know the identity of our opponents.
“Our preparations have been going on well and this time around we will be specific.
“We can’t wait to go out there and represent our team with dignity and conviction,” added Mutaurwa.
Herentals Queens, have for the past three years been the dominant force of the local women’s game.
They debuted in this tournament in Blantyre, Malawi last year and punched above their weight, reaching the semi-finals where they were defeated 1-0 by Botswana’s Gaborone United. Only winners from the regional qualifier advance to the final CAF Women’s Champions League final tournament to be held later this year.
Mamelodi Sundowns are back in the zonal qualifier having been given a bye last year on the basis that they were the continental trophy holders.
That gave room to the University of the Western Cape to participate representing South Africa.
UWC won the regional tournament but found the going tough at the continental stage.
They will not be in Johannesburg after finishing behind Mamelodi Sundowns in their local league last season.
The Pretoria team will face Ntopwa of Malawi, Namibia’s Beauties and ZESCO Ndola of Zambia while Gaborone United will have to contend with Young Buffaloes of Eswatini and Lesotho’s Kick4Life.
Draw:
Group A: Mamelodi Sundowns (SA), Ntopwa (Malawi)
Beauties (Namibia), ZESCO Ndola Girls (Zambia)
Group B, Gaborone United (Botswana), Young Buffaloes (Eswatini), Kick4Life (Lesotho),
Group C: Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe), Clube de Desportos da Costa do Sol (Mozambique), Olympic De Moroni (Comoros)
