Ntopwa have been handed a lifeline ahead of their Caf Champions League debut after an undisclosed well-wisher pledged to buy the team return air tickets valued at around K22 million.
The team’s owner and technical director Isaac ‘Jomo’ Osman is confident that other well-wishers will support the side in order to travel to South Africa for the tournament.
“We have secured money for return air tickets. The well-wisher will pay directly to the travel agents about K20 million, which will cater for 20 players and eight officials.
“It is our hope that others will emulate the gesture. Through my team, I have been taking kids out of the streets,” he said.
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Osman said the team’s budget was revised upwards from K40 million to K55 million.
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“When we were drafting the budget, we did not get actual costs for some of the items. Now we have everything and our budget is at K55 million,” he said.
The qualifiers are scheduled for September 7 to 16 in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.
Ntopwa qualified for the tournament after winning the 2022 Fam National Women’s Championship following a 5-3 victory over Ascent Academy at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre.
The 2023 Cosafa qualifiers for the Caf Women’s Champions League are scheduled for September 7 to 16 in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.
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Ntopwa will be the first Malawian women’s football team to take part in the tournament.
FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women and Silver Strikers Ladies (formerly DD Sunshine) expressed interest in registering for the event last year but failed after missing the deadline.
South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns are the competition’s defending champions.
