By Mabvuto Kambuwe in Johannesburg, South Africa:
Malawi Women’s National Football Team, the Scorchers, will face Mozambique in the semi-finals of the 2023 Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship this coming Friday after finishing as Group A winners.
The Scorchers made it three out of three after beating Madagascar 3-1 at University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday to finish group stage assignments with nine points.
This is the first time for the Scorchers to win three straight matches since the competition started in 2002.
Now the Scorchers head into the semi-finals against Mozambique with a spring in their step following three victories.
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Mozambique finished as overall best runners-up of the tournament with seven points after beating Angola 1-0 in a match played at Dobsonville Stadium Tuesday.
Defending champions Zambia also cruised to the semifinals as Group B winners with seven points after beating Comoros 5-1 in their last match.
Zambia will meet Group C winners between Zimbabwe and Botswana, who will face-off today in their last group stage match.
The Scorchers have finished the group stage with a good record, having scored 15 goals and conceded four goals in three matches.
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Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili made six changes to the starting lineup that beat eSwatini 8-0 on Saturday.
Captain Temwa Chawinga, Madyina Ngulube, Lyna James, Ireen Khumalo, Caroline Mathyola and Chimwemwe Madise were rested as Fazili trusted Vanessa Chikupira, Leticia Chinyamula, Rose Kabzere, Funny Magombo, Mary Major and Faith Chinzimu.
But the changes did not affect the team’s rhythm as the players showed their supremacy over Madagascar with a victory.
The win means Malawi have beaten Madagascar in all four matches they have played against them since 2017.
In 2017, Malawi beat the Islanders 6-3 in Zimbabwe before registering 2-0 margins during the 2018 and 2019 editions held in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Chikupira, Chinyamula and Asimenye Simwaka scored for the Scorchers whereas Heliso Kanto scored for Madagascar from the penalty spot.
Simwaka was named player of the match.
This means Scorchers players have won player-of-the-match accolades in all the group stage matches after Chawinga and Thom did likewise.
In post-match interview, Fazili said they would guard against complacency as they face Mozambique.
“Our group was tough but after winning the first match we had confidence. It will be a different match against Mozambique but we are ready. We have to be very serious about the match against Mozambique,” Fazili said.
The Scorchers started this year’s Cosafa Women’s Championship with a 4-3 win over hosts South Africa before beating eSwatini 8-0 in the second match.
