Wenslus Murape
Tadious Manyepo, Sports Reporter
ZIFA believe Women Soccer League champions Herentals Queens have the acumen to win the CAF Women’s Champions League Cosafa qualifying tournament.
The Students left the country yesterday for the contest to be staged at the Mpira Stadium, Blantyre in Malawi.
They will be expecting to outwit everyone in their way and punch the ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League final tournament to be held in October.
Herentals Queens have been unrelenting in the domestic league over the past three seasons where they have lost just two games in 74 games.
And ZIFA feel that the Simbarashe Dedza girls can take those positive vibes to the regional club championships.
They are in Group A along with seasoned campaigners Green Buffaloes of Zambia and competition regulars FC Ongos of Namibia as well as fellow debutants University of Western Cape (South Africa).
The Zimbabweans will get the ball rolling at the tournament with a date against FC Ongos at 12pm tomorrow as they seek to clip a top-two finish in the pool that will ensure they progress to the semis.
Seeing them off at the Robert Mugabe International Airport yesterday, ZIFA Normalisation Committee and women football legend Rosemary Mugadza said Herentals College have an unparalleled fighting spirit which can see them through.
“I am really impressed with your confidence on and off the field of play. You are our ambassadors when you go out there.
“I have no doubt that you will be able to smoother every arrow thrown at you. I know you are fighters, I have seen you play in the local league and I know you can do it,” said Mugadza.
“Herentals Queens is a complete package. There is determination, there is experience and there is talent.
“I am very confident that you will deliver. Take it game by game and I know you will bring the trophy home.”
Zimbabwe Women’s Soccer League chairperson Theresa Maguraushe, who was accompanied by her board member development Shamuyarira James Mupfudza, said Herentals Queens can go a notch higher than Black Rhinos Queens and make it to the final tournament.
Black Rhinos Queens became the first club from Zimbabwe to participate at the CAF Women’s Champions League in 2021 when they finished as runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns.
“We have participated once in this tournament when Black Rhinos impressed in South Africa and were unfortunate not to win the ticket to the final tournament.
“I believe you can go a notch higher and win the trophy,” said Maguraushe.
“Go there, enjoy yourselves and make Zimbabwe proud. Just show that you are capable as we know you are.”
Herentals Queens goalkeeper Doreen Zvayi said the team was looking forward to conquering Southern Africa.
“This is our first time going to participate at a huge tournament like this but the fact that we are going means we can be on the same footing with everyone else,” said Zvayi.
“We are going to compete, put as much effort as we can and try to win every game that we will play.”
Online Reporter