Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in NDOLA, Zambia
Zambia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1) 3
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
ZIMBABWE last night showed they have a lot of catching up to do after losing this 4Nations Women’s Championship final to their across Zambezi rivals at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium here.
A huge gulf already exists between the two teams after years of stagnation on the part of Women’s football development in Zimbabwe, which the current ZIFA leadership is trying by all means to address.
And the gap was glaringly once again exposed by a sharp Copper Queens side preparing to participate at the WAFCON finals in Morocco next month.
Unlike last year when Zambia and Zimbabwe once again met in another 4Nations final at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi last December, with the former emerging 3-1 winners, this time around both teams had their full-strength sides on display.
The tournament was organised to sharpen up the national teams of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho and Kenya as they prepare for more challenging future assignments.
And for Zambia and Kenya, this was a good dress engagement for their WAFCON preparations. Zambia got their opener through Rachael Kundananji moments before half-time and double scorer Prisca Chilufya.
Before that, Kenya had walloped Lesotho 6-0 to take the bronze back to Nairobi.
Zimbabwe were hoping to finally put a stop to their neighbours’ dominance having last beaten them in 2019.
They had a real chance to do so. They were not utterly out of the game as the result would suggest.
They were never out of shape or out of sorts.
They were in there.
They put the fight and on another day they could have broken the ice themselves.
Yes, they came so nearer to opening the referee’s score book.
Usually reliable striker, Ethel Chinyerere, wrestled for the ball and won the duel down the left channel.
She screened her marker off with her sheer strength while accelerating down.
Suddenly, she was face-to-face with Zambia goalkeeper Hazel Nali who was already panicky and sprawling on the ground.
But somehow, Chinyerere, instead of lifting the ball over, shot straight at her and just like that Zambia got off the hook.
In response, the home side launched a spirited attack straight from that and Sheila Antonio clipped the attacker to concede a penalty that Kundananji skied, though.
With the match looking balanced and Zimbabwe throwing as much they were getting, and the half-time whistle fast approaching, Kundananji raced faster than the Zimbabwean rearguard of Egness Tumbare and Sheila Antonio before beating a drawn out ‘keeper Cynthia Shonga before nudging home.
