Hosts South Africa will take on Zambia in Sunday’s final of the 2022 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship after the pair won through hard-fought semifinals at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium on Friday.
Zambia, who have never lifted the trophy before, defeated defending champions Tanzania 2-1 to end their short reign, while South Africa edged neighbours Namibia 1-0 in two contents that in truth could have gone either way.
It sets up a mouth-watering final between the 2022 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations bronze medallists Zambia and the gold medal winners South Africa, though this is a much-changed squad for the hosts without many of their leading stars.
That match will be at 15h00 at the Wolfson Stadium, where a large crowd turned out on Friday to cheer on the home side.
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.
The third-place play-off on Sunday will be at the same venue between Tanzania and Namibia, with a 12h00 kick-off.
Barbra Banda netted her ninth goal of the competition to set Zambia on their way against the Twiga Stars, but the East African guest nation equalised when Copper Queens defender Lushomo Mweemba headed the ball into her own net.
That was the way it stayed until just after halftime, when Misozi Zulu put the Zambians back into the lead, which they held onto for the remainder of the game.
South Africa and Namibia looked to be heading for penalties having cancelled each other out, but a late goal from Lithemba Sam-Sam secured victory with eight minutes left on the clock.
It is her fourth of the competition as she was sent through on goal and rounded the keeper before supplying a neat finish.
All matches on finals day 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.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
Semifinals
Zambia 2 (B. Banda 12’, Zulu 46’) Tanzania 1 (Mweemba 28’og)
South Africa 1 (Sam-Sam 82’) Namibia 0
SUNDAY’S FIXTURES
Third-place Play-Off
12h00 (10h00 GMT) – Tanzania vs Namibia – Wolfson Stadium
Final
15h00 (13h00 GMT) – Zambia vs South Africa – 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 |
| Tanzania (Q) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Botswana | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Malawi | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Comoros | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | -15 | 0 |
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 20
Goals scored: 66
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
9 goals – Barbra Banda (Zambia)
5 – Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse (Botswana)
4 – Lithemba Sam-Sam (South Africa)
3 – Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi), Boitumelo Rabale (Lesotho),
2 – Zenatha Coleman (Namibia), Cidalia Cuta (Mozambique), Ivone Kooper (Namibia) Enekia Lunyamila (Tanzania), Sara Luvunga (Angola), Refilwe Maseko (South Africa), Donisia Minja (Tanzania), 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), Tshegofatso Mosotho (Botswana), Diana Msewa (Tanzania), Sisanda Ndzinisa (Eswatini), Eneless Phiri (Zambia), Lesego Radiakanyo (Botswana), Michelle Sampson (South Africa), Asimenye Simwaka (Malawi), Lonica Tsanwane (Mozambique), Opa Tukumbuke (Tanzania), Misozi Zulu (Zambia)
Own goal – Elsa Dadard (Mauritius), Lushomo Mweemba (Zambia)
