Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HERENTALS Queens utility 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 club 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.
And they have been pooled in Group C with tricky opponents Clube de Desportos da Costa do Sol of Mozambique along with Comoros’ Olympic De Moroni.
There are three groups rather the two which were there in Malawi last year, with Pool A that is headlined by the hosts Mamelodi Sundowns having four teams while Group B and C have three each.
That means only Group A will see two top teams qualifying for the semi-finals while only winners will advance from Group B and C.
While the Mozambican giants present a potential banana skin for the Zimbabweans, Mutaurwa said her team was ready to be pooled with anyone.
“Yea, the draw is fair, as I see it, as Herentals Queens see it. 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?,” quipped Mutaurwa.
“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 gonna 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.”
Herentals Queens, for the past three years the dominant force of the local women’s game, debuted in this tournament in Blantyre, Malawi last year.
They punched above their weight, reaching the semi-finals where they were defeated 1-0 by 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 wavered last year as they had won the continental trophy.
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 content with Young Buffaloes of Eswatini and Lesotho’s Kick4Life.
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)
