Gaborone United came from behind twice to see off Ascent Academy 3-2 on Tuesday and qualify for the semifinals of the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers in Malawi.
Faith Chinzimu and her strike partner Alephar Chimbeta struck early for Ascent in between Keitumetse Dithibe’s strike for United in the Group B match at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre.
The Malawians led 2-1 at break before surrendering the lead in the second half largely due to sloppy defending and Patricia Kachepa’s suspect goalkeeping.
Winger Maungo Maponga levelled matters for United four minutes into the second half before Laone Moloi completed the comeback with a 76th minute winner.
United finished on top of the group with five points with the last semifinal slot for the pool up for grabs between Young Buffaloes and Lichinga who both finished on four points.
Young Buffaloes took their tally to four points after thrashing UD de Lichinga 4-0 earlier at the same venue.
Gaborone United will face Zimbabwe’s Herentals Queens in their semifinal scheduled for Thursday, while on the same day South Africa’s University of the Western Cape take on Young Buffaloes
UWC and second-placed Herentals Queens sailed through to the last-four stage after the former beat the Zimbabweans 2-1 for both sides to finish on six points and eliminate third and fourth- placed Green Buffaloes and FC Ongos on Monday.
Young Buffaloes concluded their Group B campaign with an emphatic 4-0 win over Lichinga, thanks to striker Siphilisiwe Ndlovu’s hat-trick and Celiwe Nkambule’s strike.
Ndlovu made the most of a through-pass in the crowded channels to chip the ball into the net in the eighth minute, as Lichinga finally conceded in the qualifiers.
Five minutes later, Nkambule added the second goal in a counterattack, timing her run to latch onto Tenanile Ngcamphalala’s defence-splitting pass and float the ball over and beyond the reach of Lichinga keeper Marcelina Damula.
Buffaloes led 2-0 at break and hopes of Lichinga’s comeback were dashed when Ndlovu grabbed her second and her team’s third goal after her low drive sneaked in between the static legs of Luchinga keeper Damula.
The Buffaloes striker completed her hat-trick a minute into added time when she slotted the ball into the net from a free-kick the Lichinga keeper spilled.
The win saw the team from Eswatini going top momentarily with four points from three games courtesy of head-to-head at the expense of Lichinga who also wound up their games with four points.
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.
If you cannot get to the stadium, you can watch all matches streamed LIVE on FIFA+.
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
Group B
Young Buffaloes 4 (Ndlovu 8′, 85′, 90′, Nkambule 13′) UD de Lichinga 0
Gaborone United 3 (Dithebe 17’, Maponga 49’, Moloi 76’) Ascent Academy 2 (Chimbeta 5’, Chinzimu 30’)
THURSDAY’S FIXTURES
Semifinals
Gaborone United vs Herentals Queens (KO 12h00; 10h00 GMT)
University of the Western Cape vs Young Buffaloes (KO 15h00; 13h00 GMT)
GROUP STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| U. of the Western Cape (South Africa) (Q) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6* |
| Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe) (Q) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| FC Ongos (Namibia) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 3* |
| Green Buffaloes (Zambia) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
* UWC lead Herentals Queens, and FC Ongos lead Green Buffaloes on head-to-head
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Gaborone United (Botswana) (Q) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Young Buffaloes (Eswatini) (Q) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4* |
| UD de Lichinga (Mozambique) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 4 |
| Ascent Academy (Malawi) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
* Young Buffaloes lead UD de Lichinga on head-to-head
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 12
Goals scored: 30
Biggest victory: Young Buffaloes 4 UD de Lichinga 0 (Group B, August 20)
Most goals in a game: 5 – Gaborone United 3 Ascent Academy 2 (Group B, August 20)
GOALSCORERS
3 goals – Siphilisiwe Ndlovu (Young Buffaloes)
2 – Alephar Chimbeta (Ascent Academy), Faith Chinzimu (Ascent Academy), Bongeka Gamede (UWC), Maudy Mafuruse (Herentals Queens), Sandiswa Ngcamphalala (Young Buffaloes)
1 – Twelikondjele Amukoto (FC Ongos), Noxolo Cesane (UWC), Melody Chikore (Herentals Queens), Vanessa Chikupila (Green Buffaloes), Keitumetse Dithebe (Gaborone United), Sibulele Holweni (UWC), Ndapewa Kateta (FC Ongos), Fikile Magama (UWC), Jessica Maponga (Gaborone United), Celia Miguel (UD de Lichinga), Yaone Modise (Gaborone United), Laone Moloi (Gaborone United), Alice Moyo (Herentals Queens), Natasha Nanyangwe (Green Buffaloes), Celiwe Nkambule (Young Buffaloes), Egness Tumbare (Herentals Queens), Beverly Uueziua (FC Ongos)
Le dernier carré constitué
Les demi-finalistes de la quatrième édition des éliminatoires régionales d’accès à la Ligue des Champions Féminine de la CAF | Qualification COSAFA 2024 sont désormais connus. Cette compétition a lieu actuellement à Blantyre, au Malawi, du 15 au 22 août 2024.
Dans le premier match des demi-finales, l’équipe de l’Université de Western Cape, d’Afrique du Sud, qui s’est qualifiée en tant que meilleure équipe du groupe A, affrontera les Young Buffaloes, du Swaziland, deuxièmes du groupe B. Cette rencontre se jouera au stade Mpira à 15h.
Dans l’autre demi-finale, le Gaborone United, club de Botswana qui a terminé premier de son groupe B avec 5 points, sera opposé aux Herentals Queens, du Zimbabwe, deuxièmes du groupe A. Ce match aura également lieu au stade Mpira.
La dernière journée des matches de groupe a été marquée par quelques surprises agréables pour certains et décevantes pour d’autres. En effet, les Young Buffaloes, équipe classée dernière de leur groupe avec seulement 1 point, ont réalisé l’exploit de battre largement le leader du groupe, l’UD Lichinga du Mozambique, sur le score sans appel de 4-0. Les buteuses ont été Siphilisiwe Ndlovu avec un hat-trick (8e, 86e et 90e+1) et Nkambule (13e).
De leur côté, les joueurs du Gaborone United ont réussi une spectaculaire remontée face à l’Ascent Soccer Academy du Malawi. Alors qu’ils étaient menés 2-0, ils sont finalement parvenus à s’imposer 3-2 grâce aux réalisations de Dithebe (18e), Maponga (49e) et Moloi (76e), prenant ainsi l’avantage dans leur confrontation directe.
Selon le règlement, seuls les deux meilleures équipes de chaque groupe se qualifient pour les demi-finales. L’unique vainqueur de cette compétition rejoindra les tenantes du titre, les sud-africaines du Mamelodi Sundowns, pour la phase continentale qui aura lieu à la fin de cette année 2024. Les Sudafricaines ont déjà remporté ce titre à deux reprises, en 2021 et 2023.
Gaberone United e Young Buffaloes apuram-se às “meias” em tarde dramática
Já são conhecidos os semifinalistas da quarta edição das eliminatórias regionais de acesso a Liga dos Campeões Feminina da CAF | Qualificação COSAFA 2024, que vem decorrendo na capital do Malawi, Blantyre, desde o passado dia 15 deste mêsdevendo terminar no dia 22 do mesmo mês.
Com efeito, a equipa do University of Western Cape, da África do Sul, que apurou-sena qualidade de melhor classificado do Grupo A, medirá forças com Young Buffaloes, do Eswatini, segundo classificado Grupo B. Este jogo terá lugar no Mpira Stadium, às 15h00.
A anteceder a essa partida, no mesmo campo, o Gaborone United (Botswana), por sua vez, confirmou a sua presença na fase seguinte, como o melhor posicionado no Grupo B, com pontos cinco pontos, enfrentará a formação do Herentals Queens, do Zimbabwe, segundo melhor classificado do Grupo A.
De resto, a derradeira jornada foi marcada com surpresas agradáveis para uns e dissabores para outros, uma vez que as equipas entraram para esta ronda com tudo em aberto. É que, o Young Buffaloes (Eswatini), último classificado desta série, com apenas um ponto, puxou de si, acreditou e subjugou o então líder do grupo, UD Lichinga de Moçambique, vencendo por esmagadores 4-0, graças a um “hat-trick” da artilheira Siphilisiwe Ndlovu (8´,86´ e 90´+1´) e um golo da sua colega Nkambule(13´).
Despidas de ideias e sem argumentos para travar a saga ofensiva das representantesdo Eswatini, a defensiva da UD Lichinga foi bastante permissiva, o que tornou fácil a equipa adversária explorar ao máximo os erros defensivos, sobretudo da guarda-redes, Marcelina Damula, que se estreou na competição num jogo de má memória.
Entretanto, dramático foi o que se assistiu no jogo em que envolveu frente-a-frente o Gaborone United (Botswana) e o Ascent Soccer Academy (Malawi), que entraram para esta jornada com dois e três pontos, respectivamente. Apenas a vitória interessava para cada lado, visto que o empate beneficiaria claramente a União Desportiva de Lichinga, que estaria em vantagem no confronto directo com os seus adversários.
Contudo, depois de ter entrado a vencer a promissora equipa do Ascent Soccer Academy, permitiu que o Gaborone United protagonizasse a histórica reviravolta, vencendo a partida por 3-2. Marcaram para o lado do Botswana Dithebe (18´), Maponga (49´) e Moloi (76´), quanto Chinzimu (5´) e Chimbeta (31´), visaram para a equipa anfitriã.
Caso para dizer que no futebol, não é como se começa, mas sim como termina!
Vale recordar que, de acordo com o regulamento, os dois primeiros melhores classificados de cada grupo avançam para as meias-finais. 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).
