Malawi Under-17 girls national team are eyeing a first ever final appearance at the Cosafa Under-17 Women’s Championship this afternoon as they take on neighbours Mozambique in the semi-finals at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia.
Coach Chisomo Nkhoma believes the team, which last qualified for the semis in 2022 but lost to Zambia and won bronze, can for the first time go all the way to the final where they will face the winner of the match between defending champions Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The two will clash in the first semi-final at noon before Malawi take on Mozambique at 3pm.
Nkhoma’s confidence in her girls is coming from Malawi’s impressive run at the regional developmental tournament where they were the first team to qualify for the last four after two straight wins against the hosts Namibia (3-0) and Comoros (6-0).
She said: “Our preparations have been going on so well and everyone is aware and understands the importance of the game because we are going to play Mozambique who are a good side as well.
“We need to work hard and score more goals to win the game. Our approach will not be the same. Tomorrow, we want to win again. So, as a team, they need to be organised in defence as well as in attacking.”
However, Nkhoma knows that Mozambique will not be pushovers as was the case with Comoros and Namibia,
She said: “Mozambique has managed to score 11 goals while we have managed to score nine. This shows that Mozambique is also a good side.
“This gives us a picture that Mozambique is a good side. They have strong players. We need to be very careful and organise our defence so that we should not concede.”
The coach has retained seven players, who featured in the 2024 tournament, namely Faluna Umali, Joyce Makweya, Emily Samuel, Bridget Afiki, Jacqueline Kamputa, Thokozani Enock and Ethel Tambala.
She has blended these with debutants, namely Dorothy Manda, Rhoda Peter, Tamandani Chawinga, Khumbitso Guduwe, Thokozani Enock, Juliet Kalua, Rejoice Luhanga, Rebecca Banda, Martha Mwakikunga and Tamandani Chilimba, who were part of the Under-15 squad that participated at the recent CAF Schools Championship in Ghana.
But Umali, who scored against Namibia and followed it up with a hat-trick against Comoros, is Malawi’s trump card.
The Mighty Queens midfielder, who is second on top scorers list at the tournament, hopes she can exorcise last year’s demons when they were knocked out in group stage after they lost to South Africa (2-4) and Madagascar (2-4), but thumped Namibia 6-1.
“It has been a great start to the competition and we would like to keep up the momentum as we head into the semi-finals this Friday,” she said.
Malawi opponents Mozambique, on the other hand, sneaked into the last four after finishing as best runners-up from Group C which also had defending champions Zambia.
They started the campaign with a 4-0 loss to Zambia but recovered to massacre Mauritius 11-0.
Jessica Andicene, who scored a hat-trick in the match is Mozambique’s star player.
