South Africa and Namibia have joined Zambia in the semifinals of the 2022 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship following the completion of Groups A and B in Nelson Mandela Bay on Tuesday.
South Africa drew 1-1 with Mozambique to top Group A with seven points, while Zambia had already secured a semifinal place before their 2-0 Group B win over Eswatini.
They top the pool, but Namibia’s 2-0 victory over Lesotho secured them second place and no other potential runner-up in the competition can match their six points.
It means South Africa will take on the Namibians in Friday’s semifinals, while Zambia await the winner of Group C, which will be decided on Wednesday.
Goals in each half from Memory Ngonda, with a superb long-range shot, and Zenatha Coleman sealed victory for Namibia, who will now hope to reach a first final since 2006, when they lost to the self-same South Africans.
Zambia had already secured top spot in the pool before Tuesday’s matches and were made to work hard by Eswatini before also running out 2-0 winners.
Eneless Phiri got the first for the Copper Queens, before Barbra Banda netted her eighth of the competition to seal the three points.
South Africa and Mozambique could not be separated as they played to a 1-1 stalemate in Group A.
Mozambique took the lead through Cidalia Cuta as she netted her second of the competition, but South Africa levelled things eight minutes into the second period as Sphumelele Shamase also netted her second in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Angola breezed past Mauritius with a 3-0 victory as Sara Luvunga scored a brace of goals and Teresa Evaristo got the other, as they finished on a high to at least salvage some pride.
Group C will be decided on Wednesday, when there is a straight shoot-out for top-spot between defending champions Tanzania and last year’s beaten finalists Malawi.
Should those two draw and Botswana beat Comoros, as expected, that would leave all three teams on five points and officials having to get their calculators out.
Both those matches are at 15h30 CAT, with Tanzania taking on Malawi at the Wolfson Stadium and Comoros playing Botswana at the Madibaz Stadium.
The best news for local fans is that tickets to the matches are FREE! They can be collected from SASOL outlets in Summerstrand, Disa, Motherwell and Standford Road.
All matches will be streamed live on www.cosafa.tv and FIFA+, and will also available on SuperSport, with selected games to be shown on SABC.
You can also follow the action at www.cosafa.com, and our official Twitter and Facebook pages.
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
Group A
Mauritius 0 Angola 3 (Luvunga 10′, 81′, Evariisto 72′)
Mozambique 1 Cuta 28’) South Africa 1 (Shamase 53’)
Group B
Lesotho 0 Namibia 2 (Hikuam 17′, Coleman 53′)
Eswatini 0 Zambia 2 (E. Phiri 40′, B. Banda 83′)
WEDNESDAY’S FIXTURES
Group C
15h30 (13h30 GMT) – Comoros vs Botswana – Madibaz Stadium
15h30 (13h30 GMT) – Tanzania vs Malawi – Wolfson Stadium
STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| South Africa (Q) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Mozambique | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Angola | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Mauritius | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | -12 | 0 |
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Zambia (Q) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 9 |
| Namibia (Q) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Lesotho | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 3 |
| Eswatini | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | -9 | 0 |
| GROUP C | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Malawi | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Tanzania | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Botswana | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Comoros | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | -9 | 0 |
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 16
Goals scored: 52
Biggest victory: Zambia 7 Lesotho 0 (Group B, September 4)
Most goals in a game: 7 – Zambia 7 Lesotho 0 (Group B, September 4)
GOALSCORERS:
8 goals – Barbra Banda (Zambia)
3 – Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi), Boitumelo Rabale (Lesotho), Lithemba Sam-Sam (South Africa)
2 – Zenatha Coleman (Namibia), Cidalia Cuta (Mozambique), Ivone Kooper (Namibia) Enekia Lunyamila (Tanzania), Sara Luvunga (Angola), Refilwe Maseko (South Africa), Wezzie Mvula (Malawi), Memory Ngonda (Namibia), Sphumelele Shamase (South Africa)
1 – Fazila Chembekezo (Malawi), Teresa Evaristo (Angola), Deolinda Gove (Mozambique), Rose Kadzere (Malawi), Veweziwa Kotjipati (Namibia), Evarine Katongo (Zambia), Isobel Jorge (Mozambique), Cristina Makua (Angola), Cina Manuel (Mozambique), Siomala Mapepa (Zambia), Donisia Minja (Tanzania), Sisanda Ndzinisa (Eswatini),Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse (Botswana), Eneless Phiri (Zambia), Michelle Sampson (South Africa), Lonica Tsanwane (Mozambique)
Own goal – Elsa Dadard (Mauritius)
