adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
HWANGE Ladies Football Club will leave the country tomorrow headed for Livingstone, Zambia, for an international friendly match against PK Sports Academy on Saturday. The trip is also a cultural exchange programme between the two clubs while the Zimbabwean side will be using the match as part of their preparations for the forthcoming Super League.
“It’s a cultural exchange programme, on our part we want to prepare for the super league games,” said veteran coach Weekly Mwale.
He said they have been busy with their pre-season preparations but felt they have not been getting the necessary challenge from teams they have played so far.
“Our hope is that the Zambians will give us a strong challenge that will help us gauge our preparedness for the obviously tough Super League,” said Mwale, a former Hwange goalkeeper and coach.
With the NetOne Charity Shield Cup final between army side Black Rhinos and Bulawayo’s Inline Academy set for the weekend, the women’s league matches are likely to start anytime from next week despite claims by some sections of the media that they might not kick off due to what they called total disorganisation.
However, the Mirriam Sibanda-led women football leadership has been adamant that the girls will finally play organised league matches for the first time in two years.
Sibanda’s deputy, Elizabeth Langa, recently told Chronicle Sport that they were still busy trying to clean up the already tattered image of women football to the corporate world who are obviously reluctant to pour in their money after the previous board reportedly failed to account for the $3 million sponsorship package from Marange Resources.
Hwange Ladies team for Zambia
Goalkeepers: Mhlanga Pamela, Sekai Dube
Defenders: Sqinisiwe Ndlovu, Patie Ndlovu, Bridget Ncube, Shyleen Magarira, Dorcas Dlamini
Midfielders: Faith Mutonga, Colleta Khumalo, Prudence Moyo, Sekai Dube
Strikers: Patient Moyo, Realise Ncube, Mello Ncube, Happy Nkomo.
derick.khumalo