Online Reporter
Cutworth Masango
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Lesotho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 2
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (4) 12
AFTER getting off to a false start on their return to the COSAFA Girls Under-17 Championship, Zimbabwe’s Young Mighty Warriors found their mojo yesterday and annihilated Lesotho with a five-star football show that lit up the Hage Geingob stadium in Windhoek, Namibia.
Zimbabwe lost their opening Group C match, suffering a 3-0 reverse that had seemed to seal their fate as they slumped to the bottom of the pool.
Botswana, on their part, had been handed a 1-0 defeat by Lesotho in the three-team Group C opener, leaving the Young Mighty Warriors as the only side without a win.
That also added pressure on the teenage girls ahead of their match against Lesotho.
But the Young Mighty Warriors had something up their sleeves, putting on a stunning show, which only Mozambique, who thrashed Mauritius 11-0, bettered their victory by a single goal. The dozen goals that Zimbabwe pumped past Lesotho saw them jump into top spot and with it, qualification for the semi-finals, where they now date tournament heavyweights Zambia.
Zimbabwe’s clash against Zambia will be the first of the two semi-finals at the Hage Geingob Stadium, with the other pitting the best second-placed side, Mozambique, against Group A winners Malawi. But last night, coach Lindiwe Ndlovu and her girls had every reason to party and savour the Young Warriors’ biggest win at a COSAFA Under-17 Championship.
Zimbabwe and Lesotho clashed for a winner-takes-all decider in Group C, but the former needed to win by five clear goals to claim top spot in the pool. Botswana (3 points, +2 goal difference) had already played their two games, so the result left all three sides on three points in the pool — Zimbabwe (3 points, +7 goal difference) and Lesotho (3 points, -9 goal difference).
Group placings in this competition are determined on the head-to-head rule, but in the case of three teams being equal, the regulations state:
“Should more than two sides finish level on points, the following criteria is used:
(a) The greatest number of points obtained in the matches between the teams concerned.
(b) The goal-difference in the matches between the teams concerned.
(c) The greatest number of goals scored in the matches between the teams concerned.
Resultantly, Lesotho finish above Botswana via the head-to-head, as they won their pool game 1-0.
Mapuwa steals the show
While the goals were shared among the Young Mighty Warriors, it was the “baby of both the team and the tournament,” Winnie Dee Mapuwa, who hogged the limelight.
The 12-year-old Legends Football Academy player was the team’s joint top scorer on the day with Mya Munyanduki, as both players fired four goals apiece.
Chiedza Khumalo, with a brace, Perpetua Chisuro, and Alicia Chinyoka, who weighed in with a goal each, were the other scorers on a big afternoon for the Young Mighty Warriors when goal difference mattered most.
Mapuwa, star of the show for Zimbabwe at the 2023 CAF Schools Under-15 tournament, which Zimbabwe hosted at Gateway High School, has shown huge potential of being the next big star for the Mighty Warriors.
She has defied her young age to continue to shine in both the national colours and the Legends Academy assignments.
Yesterday Mapuwa was at her clinical best as her team sought what seemed an onerous task to win by six clear goals.
She found her goals in the 23rd, 32nd, 36th and 48th minutes. But by half-time, Zimbabwe had calmed their nerves, securing half a dozen goals without reply.
And Winnie, who hails from a footballing family, was in the thick of the action.
Her brothers Washington and Dibellar are playing in the Premier Soccer League and the Southern Region Division One.
Washington is at Premiership outfit GreenFuel, while Dibellar is on the books of Rodwell Dhlakama’s Hwange. Coach Ndlovu said despite the big win, last year’s losing finalists, Lesotho, had offered them competition in the game. “This was a very competitive match today, but we expected that coming into the match. “Going into the match, I emphasised on the girls to attack more than defend, and sure the goals came. “Each and every game has its tactics to be implemented. As you continue with the tournament, naturally the competition becomes tougher, so we are going to implement tactics according to each game,’’ Ndlovu said.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Under-20 Women’s team suffered a setback, losing 3-1 to Rwanda in Kigali to be knocked out from the World Cup qualifiers.
Semi-final fixtures tomorrow:
Zambia vs Zimbabwe (12 noon)—Hage Geingob Stadium, Malawi vs Mozambique (3pm)—Hage Geingob Stadium
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 9
Goals scored: 61
Biggest victory: Mozambique 11, Mauritius 0 (Group B, May 12)
Most goals in a game: 14 —Lesotho 2, Zimbabwe 12 (Group C, May 14)
GOALSCORERS 7 goals – Nancy Lebang (Namibia)
4 Winnie Mapuwa (Zimbabwe), Mya Munyanduki (Zimbabwe), Faluna Umali (Malawi)
3 Jessica Andicene (Mozambique), Hellen Banda (Zambia), Ruth Mukoma (Zambia), Precious Mwape (Zambia)
2 Hope Lesotlo (Botswana), Alinafe Nyirenda (Malawi)
1 Khloe Awases (Namibia), Yumna Bila (Mozambique), Alicia Chinyoka (Zimbabwe), Perpertua Chisuro (Zimba-bwe), Grace Eises (Namibia), Edite Fernando (Mozambique), Melania Gawas (Namibia), Fatima Houana (Mozam-bique), Natasha Kasema (Zambia), Gorata Kgotle (Botswana), Chiedza Khumalo (Zimbabwe), Malehlonhonolo Le-holi (Lesotho), Sunila Luckubary (Mozambique), Esther Makoti (Zambia), Gift Mazimba (Zambia), Thato Molete (Lesotho), Boiketlo Molise (Lesotho), Cecilia Mzima (Malawi), Thandy Nassone (Mozambique), Esther Ngabwe (Zambia), Ethel Tambala (Malawi), Victoria Tennyson (Mozambique), Yolanda Zavale (Mozambique)
Own goals — Abellia Armance (Mauritius), Uakatavisa Tjihiku (Namibia)
