Zimbabwe’s senior national women’s football team, the Mighty Warriors, secured a spot in the COSAFA Women’s Championship semi-finals in Gauteng with a 1-1 draw against Botswana in the Group C decider in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The Mighty Warriors, who only needed a point from their final Group C match to qualify for the semis, got off to a dream start with a well-executed corner kick leading to an early opening goal. Striker Privilege Mupeti, who was named Player of the Match, set up Ennety Chemhere, who headed home the opener in the first five minutes.
Despite Botswana’s efforts to level the match, Zimbabwe came closest to extending their lead when Chemere’s long-range strike hit the crossbar around the half-hour mark. At halftime, Zimbabwe held a narrow lead.
In the second half, Botswana intensified their efforts, while the Mighty Warriors seemed content to preserve their lead. Zimbabwe almost scored a second goal after Mupeti’s free kick from outside the box struck the woodwork just after the one-hour mark.
Botswana eventually managed to level the score with five minutes remaining in the match, thanks to a goal by Balothanyi Johannes, her second of the tournament.
Zimbabwe held on for a crucial point, securing their place in the regional competition’s semi-finals. The Mighty Warriors topped Group C with seven points, boasting the best defensive record in the group stage, having conceded only one goal.
Botswana, on the other hand, was eliminated from the competition after finishing as Group C runners-up with five points.
In the pool’s final match, Namibia finished third with four points, defeating Lesotho 2-0 in a dead rubber played at the University of Johannesburg Soweto campus. The semi-finals will see Zimbabwe facing neighbors Zambia, and Malawi competing against Mozambique at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, with Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology used for the first time at a COSAFA tournament at this stage.
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