University of the Western Cape (UWC) registered their first win of the CAF Women’s Champions League l COSAFA Qualifier after trouncing FC Ongos 3-0 in Malawi on Saturday, whereas Herentals Queens beat Green Buffaloes 1-0 to lead Group A.
Striker Maudy Mafuruse scored for the Queens of Zimbabwe in the 60th minute via a header from a left-flank corner-kick at a packed Mpira Stadium in Blantyre.
Mafuruse’s second goal of the regional qualifiers sees the coach Lazarus Magaya side leading Group A on six points and need just a draw against UWC on Monday to guarantee a semifinal place.
In the other game in the pool, UWC recovered from Thursday’s 1-0 loss Buffaloes to defeat FC Ongos.
Sibulele Holweni, Fikile Magama and Bongeka Gamede’s 20th, 31st and 56th minutes strikes put the South Africans’ semifinal qualification bid back on track.
UWC have three points whereas the Namibians remain winless hence out of the last-four race going into an academic meeting with Queens on Monday.
In noon kick-off of Saturday, Queens got a deserved reward as they dominated the match to register back-to-back wins and take their tally to six points. Buffaloes have three points.
The 2022 champions Buffaloes hosted Queens with an early semifinal qualification dream in mind.
Going into the game, coach Magaya for the Zimbabwean side maintained the starting XI that started the tournament with a 3-1 win over FC Ongos.
On the other hand, Buffaloes coach Carol Kanyemba dropped four players from the starting XI that beat UWC with Martha Banda, Agness Phiri, Judith Zulu and Bwalya Chileshe replaced by Atness Phiri, Maweta Chilenga, Lubasi Pumulo and Hellen Chanda.
However, such changes hardly improved the performance of the 2022 champions who now face a must-win FC Ongos on Monday.
The second Group A game between UWC and FC Ongos featured teams gunning for their first win of the qualifiers.
Both teams knew a loss could be a recipe for an early return home.
The South African students started the regional qualifiers with a painful 1-0 loss to Buffaloes in a game they dominated.
It was a similar case for the Namibians, FC Ongo Ladies who struggled against the Queens on Thursday.
The overall winner of the 10-day tournament will book a place at the CAF Women’s Champions League’s continental finals, joining Mamelodi Sundowns who did not participate in the qualifiers as they had already secured their finals’ slot by virtue of being African champions.
Entrance for fans to all matches in Blantyre will be FREE of charge. You can view all of the fixtures here.
If you cannot get to the stadium, you can watch all matches streamed LIVE on FIFA+.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Group A
Green Buffaloes 0 Herentals Queens 1 (Mafuruse 60’)
University of the Western Cape 3 (Holweni 20’pen, Magama 31′, Gamede 56′) FC Ongos 0
SUNDAY’S FIXTURES
Group B
Gaborone United vs Young Buffaloes (KO 12h00; 10h00 GMT)
UD de Lichinga vs Ascent Academy (KO 15h00; 13h00 GMT)
GROUP STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Green Buffaloes (Zambia) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3* |
| Univ. of the Western Cape (South Africa) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3* |
| FC Ongos (Namibia) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
* Green Buffaloes lead UWC on head-to-head
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Ascent Academy (Malawi) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Gaborone United (Botswana) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| UD de Lichinga (Mozambique) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Young Buffaloes (Eswatini) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 6
Goals scored: 12
Biggest victory: University of the Western Cape 3 FC Ongos 0 (Group A, August 17)
Most goals in a game: 4 – Herentals Queens 3 FC Ongos 1 (Group A, August 15)
GOALSCORERS
2 goals – Maudy Mafuruse (Herentals Queens)
1 – Melody Chikore (Herentals Queens), Alephar Chimbeta (Ascent Academy), Faith Chinzimu (Ascent Academy), Bongeka Gamede (UWC), Sibulele Holweni (UWC), Ndapewa Kateta (FC Ongos), Fikile Magama (UWC), Natasha Nanyangwe (Green Buffaloes), Sandiswa Ngcamphalala (Young Buffaloes), Egness Tumbare (Herentals Queens)
Queens d’Herentals fait un grand pas vers le dernier carré
L’équipe des Queens d’Herentals du Zimbabwe a franchi une étape importante vers la qualification pour les demi-finales des éliminatoires régionales d’accès à la Ligue des champions féminine de la CAF | Qualification COSAFA 2024, après avoir remporté aujourd’hui une victoire 1-0 contre les Green Buffaloes de Zambie, grâce à un but solitaire de leur attaquante Maudy Mafuruse à la 61e minute. C’est le deuxième but de cette joueuse, qui est en tête du classement des meilleures buteuses de la compétition.
Le match, qui s’est déroulé au Mpira Stadium de Blantyre (Malawi), où se déroule le tournoi depuis jeudi dernier, faisait partie de la deuxième journée du Groupe A. Avec ce résultat, les représentantes du Zimbabwe sont provisoirement en tête avec six points, mais ne sont pas encore qualifiées pour la prochaine phase, car trois équipes peuvent terminer avec six points, notamment l’Université du Cap-Occidental (UWC) d’Afrique du Sud et les Green Buffaloes de Zambie.
L’Université du Cap-Occidental, quant à elle, s’est rachetée de sa défaite lors du premier match contre les Green Buffaloes, en battant aujourd’hui les championnes nationales de Namibie, le FC Ongos Ladies, par 3-0, grâce aux buts de Fikile Magama (21′), Sibulele Holweni (31′) et Bongeka Gamede sur coup franc direct à la 57e minute.
Cependant, tout reste ouvert et le sort des équipes sera connu lors de la dernière journée, c’est-à-dire ce lundi, après la fin des matchs de la phase de groupes. Le FC Ongos Ladies de Namibie affrontera le champion de l’édition 2022, les Green Buffaloes de Zambie, à 12h00 au Mpira Stadium, suivi du match entre l’Université du Cap-Occidental d’Afrique du Sud et les Herentals Queens du Zimbabwe à 15h00 sur le même site.
Rappelons que selon le règlement de la compétition, les deux premiers de chaque groupe se qualifient pour les demi-finales. Les matchs éliminatoires auront lieu le 22 août, la finale étant prévue le 24 du même mois, sans match pour la médaille de bronze.
Il faut noter également que seule l’équipe gagnante parmi les huit clubs s’ajoutera aux Mamelodi Sundowns, détenteur du titre, pour la phase continentale à la fin de cette année. Les Sud-Africaines, exemptées de cette phase, ont remporté le tant convoité titre à deux reprises (2021 et 2023).
Les matchs se poursuivront demain avec le Groupe A qui entrera en action. Les filles de l’Ascent Soccer Academy (Malawi), qui pourront à nouveau compter sur le soutien du public local après leur victoire encourageante sur les Young Buffaloes (Eswatini), affronteront l’União Desportiva du Mozambique (15h00), le match étant précédé par la rencontre entre les formations de Gaborone United (Botswana) et des Young Buffaloes.
Herentals Queens a um pé das “meias” e WUC renasce das cinzas
A equipa do Herentals Queens do Zimbabwe, voltou a marcar um passo importante rumo a qualificação para às meias-finais das eliminatórias regionais de acesso a Liga dos Campeões Feminina da CAF | Qualificação COSAFA 2024, após vencer, hoje, Green Buffaloes da Zâmbia, mercê do golo solitário da artilheira, Maudy Mafuruse, marcado a passagem do minuto 61. Este é o segundo golo desta atleta, que lidera à condição, a lista das melhores marcadoras da prova.
O desafio que teve lugar no Mpira Stadium, na cidade de Blantyre (Malawi), local onde decorre o torneio desde a passada quinta-feira, esteve inserido na segunda jornada do Grupo A. Com este desfecho, as representantes do Zimbabwe lideram à condição com seis pontos, mas ainda não estão apuradas à fase seguinte, pois há três equipas que podem terminar com seis pontos, designadamente, University of Western Cape (UWC) da África do Sul, incluindo o Green Buffaloes (Zâmbia).
O University of Western Cape, por sua vez, redimiu-se da derrota sofrida no primeiro jogo frente ao Green Buffaloes, vencendo, hoje, as campeãs nacionais da Namíbia, FC Ongos Ladies, por 3-0, graças aos golos de Fikile Magama (21´), Sibulele Holweni (31´) e Bongeka Gamede aos 57 minutos, na cobrança de um livre directo.
Contudo, estando tudo em aberto, o futuro das equipas será conhecido na derradeira jornada, ou seja, nesta segunda-feira, após a conclusão dos jogos da fase regular. O FC Ongos Ladies da Namíbia enfrentará o campeão da edição de 2022, Green Buffaloes (Zâmbia), às 12h00, no Mpira Stadium, seguindo depois, no mesmo recinto, o embate entre o University of Western Cape da África do Sul e o Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe), quando forem 15h00.
Vale recordar que de acordo o regulamento da competição, os dois primeiros classificados de cada grupo a avançam para as meias-finais. Os jogos eliminatórios serão disputados no dia 22 de Agosto, estando a final marcada para o dia 24 do mesmo mês, sem a disputa da medalha de bronze.
Anotar ainda que apenas a equipa vencedora entre os oito clubes se juntará ao Mamelodi Sundowns, detentor do título, na fase continental no final deste ano. As sul-africanas, isentas desta fase, arrebataram o tão desejado título em duas ocasiões (2021 e 2023).
Por conseguinte, os jogos prosseguem amanhã com o Grupo A a entrar em ação. As garotas do Ascent Soccer Academy (Malawi), que voltarão a contar com o apoio do público local, depois da moralizadora vitória sobre o Young Buffaloes (Eswatini), terão pela frente a União Desportiva de Moçambique (15h00), sendo que este duelo será antecedido com encontro entre as formações do Gaborone United (Botswana) e do Young Buffaloes.
