‘Shepolopolo COSAFA outing a success’

MUKWIMA CHILALA writes

PLAYER of the tournament at the just ended COSAFA women competition Helen Mubanga has described her team’s outing as a success.

Mubanga said the tournament was a success for her team because it performed better than it did in last year’s competition.

She described the game against hosts Banyana Banyana in which her side lost, as being the toughest having played well in all the other games.

Mubanga said despite not winning the game, her team really wanted to win the match and emerge champions of the competition.

Meanwhile FAZ president Andrew Kamanga and his executive have paid tribute to the Zambia senior women national team and their Under-20 counterparts for reaping silver medals at the just ended COSAFA women championships in South Africa.

 Kamanga said the teams reached a milestone by playing in the finals of the competition for the first time while the Under-20 reached the final at the inaugural tournament.

“As an executive, we are very proud of the achievement of our girls. The Uudner-20 made it to the final in their first attempt. Our Senior Women have been making strides in the last few years and now look ready to get to the next stage,

“Some of the efforts being made by our women have been shown in the few that have been signed up by European clubs. We have no doubt more will follow in their footsteps,” Kamanga said

He said the teams had more engagements ahead with Olympic Qualification being one of the priority areas.

He said FAZ would direct more efforts toward finding sponsorship for the women football.

The senior team lost 1-0 to South Africa in the final of the 2019 COSAFA Women Championship while the Under-20 girls went down 2-1 to guest team Tanzania. Attention for the Under-20 will now shift to the All Africa Games in Morocco.

Two-time winners Nigeria will face South Africa, Cameroon and Zambia in Group B at this year’s All African Games women’s football tournament in Morocco which starts on August 18.