Online Reporter
MALAWI’s Luwinga Academy finished fifth at the ongoing CAF Under-17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) Zimbabwe edition after defeating South Africa’s Refilwe FC 3-0 at Ngoni Stadium yesterday, while Namibia’s Okakarara Golden Ladies took seventh place.
The classification matches were staged ahead of today’s finals day, when the trophy will be awarded and the third-place play-off contested.
Chisomo Mtelare opened the scoring for the Malawian side, with Cecilia Mzima adding the second.
Tamandani Chilimba netted her eighth goal of the competition to remain joint-top of the goalscorers’ charts at the end of the day.
Okakarara Golden Ladies finished seventh after defeating their compatriots Otjiwarongo Sports Academy 13-1 in the play-off to avoid last place.
Nancy Lebang scored six goals to also take her tally to eight for the tournament, while Renaldo Hangula netted a brace and Rauna Uugulu claimed a hat-trick in a dominant display.
Lady !Naibas scored her side’s consolation goal, her second of the competition.
The tournament will conclude on Thursday with the third-place play-off and the final, which will be contested by South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns and Lesotho’s Lishoeshoe (14h00 local time / 12h00 GMT).
They were the top teams in their respective groups and look the most polished sides in the competition, setting up a fascinating battle. The third-place play-off between the runners-up in the two groups will see Zimbabwe’s Mpopoma Sports Academy, who are the host team face Zambia’s Aguila Stars (11h00 local time).
CAF and COSAFA have ensured that entrance to the Ngoni Stadium is free and fans anywhere in the world can follow the action live on CAF TV and COSAFA’s YouTube Channel.
CAF introduced the GIFT U17 tournament to give club teams in this age group the opportunity to compete against their peers across their region, complementing the events already staged for national teams. The continental body have made the growth of women’s football a key aspect of its development agenda, and this tournament provides young players with the chance to showcase their skills and gain experience. — cosafa.com
