Nobahle Mdelwa scored a brace of goals as South Africa booked a place in the final of the COSAFA Girls’ Under-17 Championship with a 3-0 victory over Botswana at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Thursday.
South Africa will meet old foes and defending champions Zambia in Sunday’s decider, which will be staged at the same venue at 14h30 CAT. Botswana will meet hosts Malawi for the bronze medal on Saturday at 19h00.
Mdelwa opened the scoring midway through the first half when her rocket shot from just outside the box had the beating of Botswana goalkeeper Gosego Mokola.
That was the way it stayed until the 64th minute when Mdelwa netted her second, this time beating the keeper from a narrow angle as she rifled her effort into the roof of the net.
The victory was secured moments later when Sinazo Ntshota added a third, beating the offside trap and showing her pace to outstrip the defender before easily beating Mokola.
The semifinals in the Boys’ TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier will be played on Friday with Zambia taking on Botswana in the first of those at 19h00 CAT.
The two finalists in this year’s competition will both book their places at the TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 in April.
Zambia were the only side to get a full haul of nine points in the pool phase and will be favourites having finished runner-up in the COSAFA Boys’ Under-17 competition for the last two years.
The second semifinal pits hosts Malawi against South Africa at 21h30 CAT in another game that will be very tough to call.
Both have looked in good form in this competition and have genuine match-winners, so it could be who turns up and players better on the day.
Both the Boys’ and Girls’ competitions are being played as part of the Region 5 Games Lilongwe 2022.
All matches will be streamed live on COSAFA.TV and FIFA+, and you can get a full rundown of the Girls’ fixtures right here, and the Boys’ matches here.
We will also be providing coverage across our multitude of social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – where we will provide news and behind-the-scenes features from Lilongwe.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
COSAFA GIRLS’ UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinals
South Africa 3 (Nobahle Mdelwa 25’, 64’, Sinazo Ntshota 68’) Botswana 0
FRIDAY’S FIXTURES
TOTALENERGIES U17 AFCON ALGERIA 2023 | COSAFA QUALIFIER
Semifinals
19h00 CAT (17h00 GMT): Zambia vs Botswana – Bingu National Stadium
21h30 CAT (19h30 GMT): Malawi vs South Africa – Bingu National Stadium
TOTALENERGIES U17 AFCON ALGERIA 2023 | COSAFA QUALIFIER STATISTICS
Matches Played: 8
Goals scored: 30
Biggest victory: Seychelles 0 South Africa 11 (Group B, December 3)
Most goals in a game: 11 – Seychelles 0 South Africa 11 (Group B, December 3)
GOALSCORERS
6 goals – Siyabonga Mabena (South Africa)
5 – Emmanuel Mwanza (Zambia)
3 – Benjamin Wallis (South Africa)
2 – Losika Ratshukudu (Botswana), Marcel Zimba (Zambia)
1 – Vincent Harrison (Malawi), Lorenzo Hoareau (Seychelles), Blessings Kanowa (Malawi), Lutetekelo Kapowa (Zambia), Dhakier Lee (South Africa), Xhosa Manyana (South Africa), Mwisho Mhango (Malawi), Bennet Mokoena (South Africa), Webster Mzunda (Malawi), Dorian Nanuseb (Namibia), Kelvin Phiri (Zambia)
Own Goal – Julius Banda (Malawi)
COSAFA GIRLS’ UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
Matches Played: 8
Goals scored: 59
Biggest victory: Namibia 0 South Africa 12 (Group A, December 3); Malawi 12 Namibia 0 (Group A, December 5)
Most goals in a game: 12 – Namibia 0 South Africa 12 (Group A, December 3); Malawi 12 Namibia 0 (Group A, December 5)
GOALSCORERS
7 goals – Rose Kadzere (Malawi)
5 – Nobahle Mdelwa (South Africa)
4 – Andrielle Mibe (South Africa)
3 – Faith Chinzimu (Malawi), Lotang Ebineng (Botswana), Harriet Matipa (Zambia), Lubasi Pumulo (Zambia), Jessy Zulu (Zambia), Zangose Zulu (Zambia)
2 – Bwalya Chileshe (Zambia), Leticia Chinyamula (Malawi), Katlo Ditsile (Botswana), Sinazo Ntshota (South Africa), Olwethu Sosibo (South Africa)
1 – Anna Baziliyo (Malawi), Tatiana Correia (South Africa), Lebogang Dilelo (Botswana), Julia Goncalves (South Africa), Mbapeua Hangara (Botswana), Suwiranji Lukondo (Zambia), Tricia Mabamba (Zambia), Mary Mbalangwe (Malawi), Chikondi Mgodi (Malawi), Khutso Mogano (South Africa), Palesa Mokopakgosi (Botswana), Gositang Motshegwe (South Africa), Esther Musialela (Zambia), Naledi Nkosi (South Africa), Ntando Phahla (South Africa)
L’Afrique du Sud attend son adversaire en finale
L’Afrique du Sud a facilement validé son billet pour la finale de la COSAFA Girls’ Under-17 Championship. Les Sud-Africaines se sont imposées 3-0 devant une équipe du Botswana courageuse mais qui a manqué de réalisme. Les Sud-Africaine ont profité du doublé de Mdelwa pour se mettre à l’abri. Cette dernière a ouvert le score à la 25e minute avant de récidiver après l’heure de jeu. Ntshota a ensuite soigné la victoire des seins en trouvant le cadre à la 68e minute.
Les demi-finales de la TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier auront lieu ce vendredi avec en match d’ouverture, une explication entre la Zambie et le Botswana. A 21h30, le Malawi sera aux prises avec l’Afrique du Sud. Des affiches à ne surtout pas manquer d’autant que ces quatre formations ont toujours assuré le spectacle à chacune de leur sortie.
La Zambie partira avec les faveurs des pronostics. Le Botswana possède certes des arguments solides mais son parcours a quelque peu été entaché par un match nul en entrée. De plus, son attaque n’a toujours pas convaincu avec uniquement trois buts inscrits en deux sorties et surtout un but pris à chaque rencontre. De son côté, la Zambie reste fidèle à elle-même.
Les Young Chipolopolos ont terminé en tête de la poule B avec trois succès au compteur. Ils sont portés jusqu’ici par Emmanuel Mwanza, auteur de cinq buts en phase de groupe. Les Zambiens ont surtout marqué leur territoire mercredi en battant l’Afrique du Sud 1-0 au terme du dernier match de poule. Son secteur défensif se porte bien avec uniquement un petit but concédé.
Dans l’autre rencontre, le Malawi aura du souci à se faire face à l’Afrique du Sud. En effet, le Malawi n’a pas totalement convaincu depuis le début de la compétition. Les Malawites ont enregistré un nul en phase de groupe et encaissent trop de but (3 en 3 matchs). La mission s’annonce donc compliqué contre l’Afrique du Sud qui possède dans ses rangs en certain Siyabonga Mabena, actuel meilleur de la compétition avec six buts marqués.
A noter que toutes les rencontres sont à suivre en streaming sur COSAFA.TV et sur FIFA+. Retrouvez également les faits de matchs, les photos du jour, les vidéos insolites ainsi que les résultats sur toutes nos plateformes numériques, à savoir Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok et YouTube.
Zâmbia e África do Sul na final da AUSC R5
As selecções femininas de sub-17 da Zâmbia e da África do Sul, disputam neste domingo, às 14.30 horas, no Bingu National Stadium, a final do torneio COSAFA da categoria, integrados na 10.ª edição dos Jogos do Conselho Superior de Desporto da África Austral (AUSC R5), que decorrem em Lilongwe, Malawi desde o passado dia 2 de Dezembro. Enquanto isso, Malawi e Botswana, finalistas derrotados nas meias-finais, jogam entre si, neste sábado, pelas 18.30 horas na luta pela medalha de bronze.
Com efeito, a Zâmbia fez o pleno na fase de grupos (A), depois de ter “esmagado” em duas jornadas, o Botswana (5-0) e a simpática formação das Comores, por contundentes 12-0, terminando o ciclo vitorioso com seis pontos, em frente do Botswana (3) e Comores (0).
Já nas meias-finais, as campeãs em título tiveram uma vitória suadíssima frente as anfitriãs, Malawi. Foi necessário recorrer-se a lotaria das grandes penalidades para se chegar ao triunfo (3-1), depois do empate a duas bolas (2-2), na etapa regulamentar.
Por sua vez, as “Bantwana”, nome de guerra da equipa sul-africana seguiram como as melhores classificadas do Grupo A com seis pontos, frutos de duas vitórias contra o Malawi por 4-1 e 12-0 sobre a Namíbia. As comandadas de Victoria Mbatha, técnica da nação do país do arco-íris foram as mais eficazes na baliza tendo alcançado um saldo positivo de 16 golos marcados e apenas sofrido um, enquanto que a Zâmbia anotou 15 golos e sem sofrer nenhum.
No duelo travado nas meias-finais, hoje, a África do Sul afastou o Botswana na corrida ao título regional vencendo por 3-0, mercê de um bis da atacante Nobahle Mdelwa (25´e 63´) e um golo Sinazo Ntshota (68´),numa partida em que domínio das sul-africanas foi claramente superior em todos os sentidos.
Foi de resto, uma vitória incontestável e que prova que as sul-africanas fizeram corretamente o trabalho de casa, depois de terem caído na fase de grupos na edição passada. Disciplina e rigor tático caracterizaram a performance exibida pelas comandadas de Victoria Mbatha no Bingu National Stadium.
Recordar que as “Copper Princesses”, alcunha da equipa treinada por Naomi Phiri, técnica da Zâmbia, são as actuais detentoras do troféu. Esta foi a primeira vez que um país da região austral conseguiu erguer o troféu, uma vez que nas anteriores edições Uganda (2019) e Tanzania (2020) arrebataram os troféus.
