Sundaymail Editor
Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’s continental Women football representatives Black Rhinos Queens will face fellow army side Green Buffaloes of Zambia in the inaugural COSAFA Women’s Champions league scheduled for South Africa from August 26-September 4.
The Harare side will part of seven teams that will battle it out over a period of 10-days for a single slot as Southern Africa’s representatives at the CAF Women’s Champions League pencilled in for later this year.
Black Rhinos were drawn into Group B which also includes Namibia’s Tura Magic.
The seven Southern African clubs were divided into two groups at draw conducted by COSAFA in South Africa on Thursday.
Group A consists of South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, Lesotho Defence Force, Double Action Ladies from Botswana and Eswatini Manzini Wanderers.
Top two teams from each of the two groups will proceed to the semi-finals.
The COSAFA Women’s Champions League winners will book a place at the CAF Women’s Champions League to be hosted by Morocco.
COSAFA General Secretary Sue Destombes welcomed the decision by CAF to have Champions League qualifier competition to be held at zonal level.
“This is a momentous day for us in the COSAFA region.
“This is something that we have had on our radar for a while, but it’s a great initiative from CAF to implement a Champions League competition and do the qualifiers at a zonal level,” said Destombes.
With only seven teams participating at this year’s inaugural Cosafa Women’s Champions league, Destombes forecasts a growth of the tournament in its next edition.
“We have seven teams taking part in 2021, but by next year we hope to have all 14 of our member associations participating.
“This is just the start, but we are putting a peg in the ground,” she said.
The competition will be followed almost immediately by the COSAFA Women’s Championship that will take place from September 9-19 in Nelson Mandela Bay.
2021 TOTALENERGIES CAF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE I COSAFA QUALIFIER DRAW
Group A
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Lesotho Defence Force (Lesotho)
Double Action Ladies (Botswana)
Manzini Wanderers (Eswatini)
Group B
Green Buffaloes (Zambia)
Black Rhino Queens (Zimbabwe)
TURA Magic (Namibia)
Online Reporter