Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THREE facilities have been identified as training venues by teams for the forthcoming Cosafa Women’s Championship to be held in Bulawayo next week.
Participating teams are expected to start arriving in the city this weekend.
St Columbus High School grounds, Hartsfield and the Old Mutual Heath Steak Cricket Academy fields will be used for training by the 12 participating countries, while Barbourfields and Luveve Stadiums are the competition venues.
“All our training venues are superb and ready for the tournament. All we are appealing to the Bulawayo football community is that they must make sure our visitors are at home and also fill up match venues when competition gets underway,” said Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela.
He said the Mighty Warriors, who are in camp in Harare, will be arriving in Bulawayo on September 9.
“It’s all systems go as far as the competition is concerned. As you know that last week we recruited 120 volunteers and trained them, this week we continue with rehearsals. Zimbabwe as a country is known for its outstanding hospitality towards her visitors and we intend doing just that,” said Gwesela.
Twelve countries have confirmed participation and have been divided into three groups of four, with the Mighty Warriors, under Sithethelelwe “Kwinji” Sibanda, being placed in Group A alongside Madagascar, Malawi and Zambia.
Group B comprises Mauritius, Mozambique, Swaziland and guest nation Kenya. Banyana Banyana are in Group C with Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia.
This year’s championship represents the biggest field assembled for the Cosafa Women’s Championship and shows tremendous growth in women’s football in the last decade.
Zimbabwe go into the tourney as defending championships, having won the last tournament played on home soil in 2011, while South Africa claimed victory in the three tournaments before that played in 2002, 2006 and 2008.
The 2017 Cosafa Women’s Championship Draw :
GROUP A: (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar,Malawi)
GROUP B: (Kenya,Mauritius,Mozambique,Swaziland)
GROUP C: (South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana)
Pool Stage Fixtures
September 13 (Barbourfields Stadium)
10h30 Namibia vs Botswana
14h00 Zambia vs Malawi
16h30 Zimbabwe vs Madagascar
September 14 (Luveve Stadium)
10h30 Mauritius vs Swaziland
14h00 Kenya vs Mozambique
16h30 South Africa vs Lesotho
September 15 (Barbourfields Stadium)
10h30 Madagascar vs Malawi
14h00 South Africa vs Namibia
16h30 Zimbabwe vs Zambia
September 16 (Luveve Stadium)
10h30 Kenya vs Mauritius
14h00 Lesotho vs Botswana
16h30 Mozambique vs Swaziland
September 17 (Barbourfields Stadium)
10h30 Zambia vs Madagascar
14h00 Zimbabwe vs Malawi
16h30 South Africa vs Botswana
September 18 (Luveve Stadium)
10h30 Namibia vs Lesotho
14h00 Mauritius vs Mozambique
16h30 Kenya vs Swaziland
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