Under-23 Women Upbeat

30 June 2011

Zambia women soccer team coach Enala Simbeye says her team will travel to Zimbabwe for the 2011 Council for Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) as title contenders.

The team, expected to leave today by road for the COSAFA championship kicking off on Saturday, face South Africa in a tricky Group B opening match in Harare.

Simbeye said in Lusaka after a morning training session at Independence Stadium yesterday that though women soccer was just growing in the country, it was important to focus on a winning mentality.

Despite being emptied out of the 2011 Maputo and 2012 London Olympics Games qualifiers, she said Zambia had somewhat performed well and that her target was to get the team to the finals and subsequently win the tournament.

Simbeye was happy that the squad was injury free ahead of departure, saying that a day’s rest would accord her squad enough rest before the South Africa showdown.

“Our goal is not to go there as just participants but we want to be counted among the contenders for the title. We have prepared well within what we had and now it’s up to the team to show what they can do and am confident they will perform well,” she said.

The squad includes three goalkeepers Miriam Katamanda, (Red Arrows), Ennie Matukuta and Nelly Lumwaya all from K-Stars.

Defenders include the Arrows trio Deborah Chisanga, Mulayi Wilombe, Chanda Mpundu; Annie Kabanji, Meya Banda, Ethel Chama from Green Buffaloes and Nyasa Moga of Moba Queens.

Susan Banda, Chishala Musonda (Arrows), Kabange Mupopo, Mwangala Kamuti (Buffaloes), Misozi Chisha (National Assembly), Tiza Chibale of Moba Queens completes the list of midfielders.

The strikers are Gift Lisaka, Etas Banda (Arrows), Noria Sosala, Rixina Lutaka (National Assembly).

The tournament will be played at two venues, Rufaro and Gwanzura Stadiums, with the opening game between defending champions South Africa and Zambia at Rufaro, kicking-off at 13:00hrs.

Zambian will then take on guest team, Tanzania before concluding their group fixtures against Botswana. Hosts Zimbabwe play their opening fixture against Lesotho at the same venue straight afterwards, while across town Mozambique take on Malawi at Gwanzura.

AllAfrica – All the Time