Malawi face hosts Zimbabwe, Zambia at Women’s Cosafa
Malawi face hosts Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Zambia in Group A of 2017 Cosafa Women’s Championship to be staged in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe from September 13 to 24.
The draw for the regional tournament was held yesterday live at Kwese Sports Television studios in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Group B has guests Kenya, Mozambique, Swaziland and Mauritius while Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa are in Group C.
Cosafa deputy chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda, who is responsible for competitions, said the group winners will qualify for the semi-finals.
“The best loser will join the other three semi-finalists,” he said.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) general secretary Alfred Gunda described the group as ‘tricky’.
“It’s a tough group. Zimbabwe are defending champions and hosts. Zambia are also not an easy side; the same applies to Madagascar,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malawi will go to the tournament without playing a strength-testing match.
Gunda said they were waiting for the draw before arranging strength-testing match.
“Our hope was to play the hosts in a test match before the tournament kicks off. But now that we are in the same group, it is not possible,” he said.
During the draw, 12 teams went into the pots, 11 from the Cosafa region and East African guest nation Kenya.
This edition will be biggest ever field for the regional showpiece competition which was first held in 2002.
Zimbabwe won on home soil the last time the competition was staged six years ago where Malawi finished fourth.
South Africa won the trophy in the three competitions played before that.
