Malawi were crowned the 2023 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship winners for the first time after defeating holders Zambia 2-1 at a buzzing Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.
Zambia were in charge of the game in the opening minutes of the match and could have gotten the opener from a corner inside the first 15 minutes but Salome Phiri landed the ball on the roof of the net.
Malawi took the game to their neighbours with Temwa Chawinga threatening but Letisha Lungu cleared quickly and soon after Asaminye Simwaka found her captain, who headed over the bar.
Sarah Jere, Zambia’s top goal scorer at the tournament, had an opportunity to score but her attempt was tame and easy for Mercy Sikelo to save. Immediately after that it was Jere again making a run forward and passed to Phiri, who was in the box however failed to get a touch.
After 20 minutes there was a foul on Rose Kadzere and Malawi were awarded a free-kick which Chawinga stepped up to take but it was deflected for a corner which was fruitless in the end.
Four minutes after the half hour mark Chawinga squared to Simwaka who didn’t make a mistake and broke the deadlock to hand the Scorchers the lead with her second goal of the tournament.
Malawi got into second gear and built a wonderful team goal started by Chawinga, who passed to Simwaka, who then gave it to Sabinah Thom to extend the lead.
However Video Assistance Referee (VAR) technology disallowed the goal with evidence that Chawinga fouled the Zambian captain Lushomo Mweemba.
Malawi could have had a second goal in the opening five minutes of the second half through Kadzere but her shot went wide. With Malawi searching for a second goal, the Wuhan Jianghan star was brought down and her side got a set-piece.
Irene Khumalo took the shot from range and forced Lungu to punch way for a corner and nothing came of it.
Late in the match, Irene Khumalo gave away a penalty with a hand ball and Agness Phiri converted to equalise with four minutes left on the regulated time clock.
That was shot lived as a defensive error by the Zambian captain saw Thom punish the Copper Queens in injury time to regain the lead with the ultimate championship winning goal.
Mozambique were on the podium for the very first time at the Championship, winning a bronze medal after defeating Zimbabwe 2-0 in the third/fourth place playoff in the earlier kick-off.
In a highly tactical game, Mozambique left it until late to score two quick goals through Lucia Moҫambique three minutes to time and Cina Manuel in injury time.
The score could have been higher however Luis Fumo’s side had Deolinda Gove’s goal disallowed two minutes after the hour mark by the VAR, which was consulted for the first time at the tournament.
In the individual awards, Chawinga walked away with the Golden Boot having scored nine goals and Player of the Tournament prize. Cynthia Shongwe was the Goalkeeper of the Tournament having conceded just two goals for Zimbabwe. The Fair Play award went to Zambia.
SUNDAY’S RESULTS
Third-Place Play-Off
Zimbabwe 0 Mozambique 2 (Mocambique 87’, Manuel 90’)
Final
Zambia 1 (A. Phiri 86’pen) Malawi 2 (Simwaka 34’, Thom 90’)
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 22
Goals scored: 70
Biggest victory: Malawi 8 Eswatini 0 (Group A, October 7)
Most goals in a game: 8 – Malawi 8 Eswatini 0 (Group A, October 7)
GOALSCORERS
9 goals – Temwa Chawinga (Malawi)
5 – Thubelihle Shamase (South Africa)
4 – Sarah Jere (Zambia)
3 – Fridah Kabwe (Zambia), Sabinah Thom (Malawi)
2 – Leticia Chinyamula (Malawi), Deolinda Gove (Mozambique), Balothanyi Johannes (Botswana), Luvunga (Angola), Kesegofetse Mochawe (Botswana), Asimenye Simwaka (Malawi)
1 – Hadhirami Ali (Comoros), Amelia Banze (Mozambique), Caupe (Angola), Emili Cazembe (Mozambique), Ennety Chemhere (Zimbabwe), Vanessa Chikupira (Malawi), Lone Gaofetoge (Botswana), Millicent Hikuam (Namibia), Rose Kadzere (Malawi), Ivone Kooper (Namibia), Sikhanyiso Magagula (Eswatini), Cina Manuel (Mozambique), Carolyne Mathyola (Malawi), Matuvova (Angola), Lucia Moçambique (Mozambique), Priviledge Mupeti (Zimbabwe), Rudo Neshamba (Zimbabwe), Lushomo Mweemba (Zambia), Eddelsisingh Naris (Namibia), Nobukhosi Ncube (Zimbabwe), Tenanile Ngcamphalala (Eswatini), Jackline Nkole (Zambia), Khesani Nkuna (South Africa), Agness Phiri (Zambia), Rina Raharimalala (Madagascar), Mohamed Roukia (Comoros), Sambo (Angola), Samkelisiwe Selana (South Africa), Sphumelele Shamase (South Africa)
Own goals – Hadhirami Ali (Comoros), Benadetta Mkandawawire (Malawi)
Le Malawi brille pour la première fois
L’édition 2023 de la Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship s’est achevée dimanche au Lucas Moripe Stadium avec un victoire du Malawi. Les SheFlames inscrivent leur nom au palmarès de cette compétition pour la première fois. Elles ont battu la Zambie sur le score de 2-0. Dans la petite finale, la médaille de bronze est revenue au Mozambique, également primé pour la première fois.
La Zambie n’est pas parvenue à retenir son titre décroché l’an dernier. La faute à une excellente formation du Malawi qui est montée en puissance au fil des rencontres avant d’être récompensée de sa constance affichée tout au long du tournoi. Dans un stade bruyant, les deux équipes ont livré une excellente prestation. Il était toutefois évident que les Malawites évoluaient un cran au-dessus.
Asimenye Simwaka a été la première à dégainer dans cette rencontre. Elle a mis le Malawi devant en ouvrant le score à la 35e minute. Les Malawites ont ensuite multiplié les occasions sans pour autant réussir à faire le break. La Zambie profitait à son tour pour recoller au score. Les Copper Queens bénéficiaient d’un pénalty en fin de rencontre. Sans hésitait, Agnès Phiri assumait ses responsabilités et offrait l’égalisation aux Zambiennes. Mais l’équipe du Malawi avait de la ressource et surtout de l’ambition. C’est ainsi que dans le temps additionnel, Sabinah Thom inscrivait le deuxième but du Malawi dans cette finale offrant ainsi la coupe à son pays.
Un premier trophée dans la région. La sélection féminine du Mozambique a bouclé sa participation dans la compétition en décrochant la médaille de bronze dimanche. Les Mozambicaines réalisent donc leur meilleure performance dans ce tournoi depuis 2002 lorsqu’elles avaient terminé au 4e rang. Cette médaille de bronze décrochée au Lucas Moripe Stadium démontre parfaitement le progrès réalisé par cette équipe depuis ces dernières années.
Mais cette troisième place a mis du temps à se dessiner et les Mozambicaines ont dû patienter jusqu’à la 86e minute pour débloquer la situation. Profitant d’un mauvais dégagement et d’une mauvaise sortie de la gardienne du Zimbabwe, Lucia Mocambique a profité pour marquer dans le but vide. Pas du tout inspirée dans cette petite finale, la portière zimbabwéenne, Precious Dzingai, manquait ensuite totalement sa sortie dans le temps additionnel. Sans se poser de question, Cina Manuel propulsait le cuir au fond des filets scellant définitivement cette médaille de bronze tant espérée. Il y a également eu un petit événement dans ce match avec le but de Deolinda après l’heure de jeu. Toutefois, ce but a été refusé après l’utilisation de l’assistance vidéo à l’arbitrage. La finale a également vu l’intervention du VAR après le second but inscrit par le Malawi. But qui a par la suite été refusé.
Malawi vence Zâmbia e conquista título inédito no COSAFA-2023
A Selecção Nacional de Futebol do Malawi, conquistou, hoje, no Estádio Lucas Moripe, o título inédito na 11ª edição do Campeonato Feminino HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA-2023, depois de ter vencido na final, a sua congénere da Zâmbia, ex-campeã em título, por 2-1, mercê dos golos Asimenye Simwaka (34´) e Sabina Thom (90´+1´), foram as autoras dos golos do Malawi, enquanto Agness Phire (84´) apontou o tento de honra para Zâmbia.
Malawi terminou o torneio com o seu melhor registo de sempre sem ter sofrido nenhuma derrota na fase de grupos e com notável registo de 15 golos marcados e quatro sofridos. Deste total, Temwa Chawinga, irmã de Thabhita, contribuiu com nove golos marcados.
Foi uma final marcante e carregada de fortes emoções em Atteridgeville, que o público aplaudiu e puxou pelas equipas em campo num ambiente ordeiro e festivo.
Entretanto, Moçambique, conquistou, hoje, a medalha de bronze após vencer, por 2-0, a sua congénere do Zimbabwe, na final dos derrotados nas meias-finais. Lúcia Moçambique (87´), abriu o caminho para a incontestável vitória da turma moçambicana, que viria a ampliar a vantagem no sexto minuto de compensação, após o tempo regulamentar, por intermédio de Cina Manuel (90´+6´).
Foi a primeira medalha de bronze de Moçambique, depois de ter se qualificado para as meias-finais como a segunda melhor equipa de todos os grupos, enquanto Zimbabwe concluiu a a fase de grupos (C ) no topo da tabela classificativa com sete pontos, frutos de dois triunfos e um empate a uma bola frente a Botswana (1-1), na derradeira jornada. Zimbabwe, regressou ao convívio do futebol internacional, depois de ter ficado de fora em 2022 devido à suspensão da FIFA.
Como é habitual, a cerimónia de premiação distinguiu as atletas que se notabilizaram nas respectivas categorias. Pelo que, nos prémios individuais diz respeito, Temwa Chawinga, do Malawi foi eleita a jogadora do torneio, cabendo a mesma o troféu de melhor marcadora com nove golos marcados. Cynthia Shongwe, guarda-redes do Zimbabwe, recebeu o troféu “luvas de ouro” e, a Zâmbia contentou-se o prémio equipa “Fair Play”.
Com efeito, para chegarem a esta fase, Zimbabwe garantiu a sua presença nas “meias” na quarta-feira passada, depois de ter terminado a fase de grupos (C ) no topo da tabela classificativa com sete pontos, frutos de dois triunfos e um empate a uma bola frente a Botswana (1-1), na derradeira jornada da fase de grupos.
Já a Zâmbia, avançou para os meias-finais com uma goleada por 5-1 sobre as Comores, no último jogo do Grupo B, terminando a série com sete pontos, os mesmos que Moçambique, mas acabou se beneficiando do diferencial de golos.
Entretanto, Malawi, foi a primeira a primeira selecção a carimbar o seu passaporte para a fase eliminar, depois de somar seis pontos ao cabo de duas jornadas, terminando a fase regular com pleno, enquanto Moçambique, com apenas um golo e sete pontos, qualificou como a segunda melhor equipa de todos os grupos.
Vele recordar que África do Sul venceu sete dos últimos 10 campeonatos femininos disputados no COSAFA. Tanzania (2021) e Zâmbia (2022) foram as outras selecções que ergueram o almejado troféu.
A prova vinha decorrendo desde o passado dia 4 do mês corrente na província sul-africana de Gauteng, que inclui as cidades de Joanesburgo e Pretória.
