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Grace Chingoma-Senior Sports Reporter
MIGHTY Warriors coach, Sithetheliwe “Kwinji’’ Sibanda, has declared war against their Tanzanian counterparts.
The two teams meet this afternoon, in a COSAFA Women Championship match, at the Nelson Mandela Bay, in South Africa.
The Mighty Warriors met the Twiga Stars, in their opening group match, last year, and fell to a 0-1 defeat.
But, Sibanda says a lot has changed from that makeshift team, which was largely made up of Under-20 players, at last year’s edition.
This time around, the gaffer has carried a strong squad, which has a number of experienced players, who had a fairy run in Durban, with Black Rhinos Queens.
The army side finished second, in the inaugural CAF Champions League COSAFA Qualifier, last month.
“We are expecting to win tomorrow’s game and that is the attitude that everyone in the team is showing,’’ said Sibanda.
“Together we can do it.
“We have really prepared for it.’’
More than half of her team have returned to South Africa, barely a month after they reached the final of the CAF Champions League, regional qualifier.
“Tanzania beat us last year but you cannot just evaluate a team’s performance over last year’s result, because a lot has changed,” said Sibanda.
Only the top team, in each pool, and the best-placed runners-up, will advance into the semi-finals. The East Africans are not pushovers as they won at the Under-20 and Under-17 levels.
Twiga Stars coach, Bakari Shime, won the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championship title.
She also won the 2020 COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championship in South Africa.
He has picked a young squad, for this tournament, and the Mighty Warriors need to be at their best, to find a way to subdue the Tanzanians, who have become perennial guests, at COSAFA.
Sibanda will be looking for inspiration from key players, such as goalkeeper Precious Mudyiwa, who was the ‘keeper-of-the-tournament, in Durban.
Forward Rutendo “Madzimai” Makore won the player-of-the-tournament award.
Other forwards who can help their cause are Christabel Katona and Rudo Neshamba, who had lukewarm performances, in the Champions League games.
The team have a number of talented midfielders, in the form of skipper Emmaculate Msipa, who is back from Spanish Segunda Division.
Marjoury Nyaumwe and Mavis Chirandu complete a strong line-up, in the middle of the park.
Veteran defenders, Eunice Chibanda and Sheila Makoto, provide the coach with options, at the back.
The ninth edition of the COSAFA Women’s Championship got underway yesterday, with hosts South Africa seeking a record fifth title.
Banyana Banyana have won the title four times. Zimbabwe are the only other country to have set their hands on the regional trophy.
The Mighty Warriors won it on home soil in 2011.
South Africa beat Malawi 2-1 yesterday, while Angola and Mozambique and settled for a 2-2 draw, in the Group A opening matches.
Online Reporter