Copper Queens intensify COSAFA preps

SUN SPORTS writes@SunZambianTHE Zambia senior Women National Team Intensify Preps for 2020 COSAFA Women Championship set to kick off on November 4th in Port Elizabeth South Africa.Speaking in an interview at Edwin Imboela Stadium, Copper Queens coach Bruce Mwape said the team is in good shape with no injuries.Meanwhile, Tanzania will be welcome guests at […]

Copper Queens intensify COSAFA preps
SUN SPORTS writes@SunZambianTHE Zambia senior Women National Team Intensify Preps for 2020 COSAFA Women Championship set to kick off on November 4th in Port Elizabeth South Africa.Speaking in an interview at Edwin Imboela Stadium, Copper Queens coach Bruce Mwape said the team is in good shape with no injuries.Meanwhile, Tanzania will be welcome guests at both the COSAFA Women’s Senior Championship and the COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championship that will be held concurrently in Nelson Mandela Bay next month. According to COSAFA Media, it is a chance for Tanzania to hold all three COSAFA women’s trophies at the same time, after their Under-20 side triumphed in that age group in the tournament that was also staged at the same venue in 2019.On that occasion that beat Zambia 2-1 in the final and will have given plenty of hope to the senior side and Under-17 girls that they can follow suit.The East African nation will be one of six sides in the Under-17 competition this year, which is to be staged from November 5-13. The others are hosts South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Zambia and Zimbabwe.The squad has been in camp in Dar es Salaam under the watchful eye of coach Bakari Shime, where they have been working hard in preparation for the tournament.Shime will be keen to make up for the disappointment of the aside’s exit from the 2020 African Under-17 Women’s World Cup qualifying competition in March, when they went down 6-2 on aggregate to the powerful Ugandan side.The Ugandans are the reigning COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championship holders after their win in Mauritius last year, but lost the first leg to the Tanzanians 2-1, which shows the quality of Shime’s side.The 2020 COSAFA Women’s Championship is to take centre-stage in South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Bay from November 3-14 in what are expected to be the first women’s internationals staged on the African continent since the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc with the football calendar.COSAFA also intends to stage its Women’s Under-17 Championship concurrently with the senior competition from November 5-13, providing some much-needed international competition in this crucial age-group.It is a welcome return to national team competition for the sides, who have endured a frustrating 2020, but with light at the end of the tunnel, the future looks a lot brighter.The COSAFA Women’s Championship will feature eight teams, split into two groups of four, who will battle it out for a place in the semi-finals. Mwape said the team’s target is to win this year’s regional competition after winning silver at the 2019 edition.“The plan is to come back as winners because we have participated in the COSAFA for many years and reaching the final last year was an indication that we can also be champions for the COSAFA tournament.“This time around, people are expecting us to win the completion because of being the champions representing Africa at the Olympics. All our fans are expecting us to start on a good not buy winning the COSAFA,” Mwape said.Mwape said the Copper Queens will play two friendly matches with local clubs as they prepare for the Cosafa.Meanwhile, the Shepolopolo coach said two foreign stars in Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundananji could join the team after the leagues in China and Kazakhstan finished.“We have Barbra in China the league just ended and if she comes next week we will be able to look at her fitness if need be she will be include in the team that will go to south Africa and even with Kundananji it is the same story she might join the team,” Mwape said.The group stage draws the championship will be held on October 20 and the eight participating teams will be split into two groups of four and they will challenge for a place in the semi-finals. The Sun