Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Mighty Warriors will be taking a cautious approach when they get their Cosafa adventure underway after being handed a tricky draw.
The Zimbabwe senior women’s national football team were yesterday drawn into Group B where they will face defending champions Zambia, Botswana and Eswatini.
The 13th edition of the Cosafa tournament is slated for Polokwane, South Africa, between February 18 and March 1.
Hosts South Africa are in Group A where they are expected to shrug off competition from 2023 champions Malawi, Lesotho and Angola in a tough pool.
Group C will feature Mozambique, Namibia and Madagascar with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the semi-finals.
However, because there are three teams in Group C, results against the bottom sides in Groups A and B will be disregarded for the purposes of calculation.
Mighty Warriors head coach Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda notes that her charges have been placed in a tricky group.
“I have chosen to term it a tricky group because from the outside, it looks quite fair especially when you consider our history with the opponents,” she said.
“However, from the inside, based on my experience as a coach these are games that we should never underestimate.
“We have on countless time beaten Eswatini and Botswana so obviously after seeing the draw, they will be preparing to come hard on us hence the tricky part.”
Zimbabwe’s biggest challenge will be defenders Zambia, a side that has on countless occasions proved to be a powerhouse in Africa.
In the last Cosafa edition, they beat South Africa 4-3 on penalties following a 0-0 draw in the final which was staged in Gqeberha.
To entertain hopes of making it past the group stages, the Mighty Warriors have to win at least two games in their group.
Based on history, Sibanda’s side stand a chance of making it to the semi-finals.
The last time they played Botswana, the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate before they walloped Eswatini 3-1.
However, Zimbabwe went on to rebuild, bringing in youngsters in their squad and only retaining a few old horses for experience.
“We stand a good chance of making it into the semi-finals, we just need to play our cards right,” said Sibanda.
“Our preparations are going on well . . . it has been a few days in camp and already the response is impressive so we are ready for this challenge.
“The rookies are fitting well into the system while the senior players are also showing a lot of quality and leadership so I do not see anything stopping us.”
Zimbabwe won the Cosafa once in 2011, and this time they will be seeking to script another piece of history in the tournament.
South Africa are the record seven-time winners, with the only other teams to lift the trophy being Zambia (2022, 2024), East African guest nation Tanzania (2021) and Malawi (2023).
The Cosafa has undoubtedly become a catalyst for the success of national teams from the region and their players.
Players like Temwa Chawinga, who is excelling in the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States with Kansas City, Barbra Banda and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana were catapulted to spotlight by the Cosafa tournament.
Zimbabweans Emmaculate Msipa, Rutendo Makore and Rudo Neshamba were also spotted on this platform.
While Makore and Neshamba are now back in the domestic league, Msipa, who is in the books of TP Mazembe, has previously played in the Turkish and Israeli leagues.
“With a new crop of players on our team, obviously we are fascinated to see which stars of tomorrow could emerge at this year’s tournament. Every coach wants their players to succeed and for us as Zimbabwe there has not been a lot of movement abroad for our players,” said Sibanda.
She said the Mighty Warriors were working to reclaim their place on the world map and as such were looking forward to players joining teams abroad.
The Cosafa tournament will also serve as a preparation platform for the Caf Wafcon 2026 tournament to take place between March 17 and April 3.
The four Caf Wafcon semi-finalists will automatically secure qualification for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Londile Moyo