Malawi and Zambia battle in 2023 Cosafa Women’s Championship Final in South Africa
The Malawi Women’s National Football Team and Zambia will compete in the 2023 Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship final at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atridgeville Township, Pretoria, South Africa this afternoon.
In 2021, the Scorchers lost 1-0 to Tanzania in their first appearance in the Cosafa Cup final. Now, they’re hoping for better luck.
This year’s final holds significant importance for both teams. The Scorchers are determined to secure the victory, while the Copper Queens aim to defend their Cosafa title, which they won last year by defeating South Africa 1-0 in Port Elizabeth.
This is the first time Malawi and Zambia are meeting in the battle for gold. Nevertheless, the two teams have a history of facing each other in various competitions.
During the 2020 group stage of the Cosafa Cup, Malawi and Zambia last encountered each other, with the Scorchers emerging victorious 1-0 thanks to Temwa Chawinga’s goal.
Head coach Lovemore Fazili is confident that the Scorchers have what it takes to win the gold this year.
“The game against Zambia will be tough, but we must win to secure the cup. We are taking the match seriously and will aim to score more goals. We have no intention of showing Zambia too much respect, and they should not underestimate us,” Fazili stated.
All players participated in Saturday’s training session in preparation for the final. Fazili is expected to make some changes to the starting lineup used in the semifinal against Mozambique.
Captain Temwa Chawinga, who leads the top goal scorers’ chart and seeks double glory, expressed readiness for the big showdown.
“As we face Zambia in the final, we need to maintain our fighting spirit. We’ve played four games, and we’re a bit tired, but we will work hard to win the match,” Chawinga said.
Chawinga has scored nine goals in four matches and is just three goals away from equaling Noko Motlou’s record of 12 goals in a single edition.
If she finds the back of the net in today’s match, she could join Barbara Banda, Rachael Nachula (both Zambia), and Rutendo Makore with 10 goals in a single edition.
Both teams have maintained unbeaten records in this year’s Cosafa Cup, with four matches each. Malawi finished with a 100 percent record in Group A, while Zambia won two matches and had one draw.
The Scorchers defeated South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 4-3 in their opening match, followed by an 8-0 victory over eSwatini. They completed the group stage with a 3-1 victory over Madagascar.
This story has been adopted from Malawi24.
