Central Affair: Silver, Civo Complete Semi-final Slots as Southern and Northern Region Teams Bow Out

By Hastings Wadza Kasonga

Central region women’s football teams have dominated the Goshen National Women’s Football Championship, securing all slots in the semi-final stage of the tournament. Silver Strikers Ladies and Civo United Women joined MDF Lioness and Ascent Academy in the semi-finals on Wednesday afternoon.

Civo Women walloped MK Academy 6-0 in an early kickoff, while the Bankers beat Northern Region Champions, Moyale Sisters, 3-1 in their respective quarter-final matches.

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After the game, Silver Strikers head coach, Andrew Chikhosi, expressed satisfaction with the win but noted that his team missed many chances against Moyale.

“It was a good game, and yes, the girls worked according to our plan. It’s good that we won, but I think we missed a lot of chances today. It will be tough in the later stages, so we need to correct these mistakes if we are to do better on Friday,” said Chikhosi.

Meanwhile, Moyale Sisters coach, John Davie Chimwala, said his team struggled with the unfamiliar facility, which affected their tactical execution. However, he was pleased with his youthful side’s performance.

“We were not good today. My girls have never played on this ground, and they found it hard to cope. Our friends were good, and we have to congratulate them. This is the youngest Moyale team ever, with maybe four to five elder players guiding the youngsters. So, I’m happy with the progress,” said Chimwala.

The Bankers started on a high note, pressuring Moyale’s goal until Linda Manda broke the deadlock in the 31st minute. Deborah Henry doubled the Bankers’ lead 16 minutes later with a speedy attack that beat Moyale’s defense.

Chippo Ngwenya brought Moyale back into the game with a stunning goal in the 47th minute. However, the Bankers restored their two-goal lead thanks to Chikondi Gondwe’s goal in the 69th minute, sealing their win.

In Civo’s game, Bernadette Nyenga opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Thandie Bilima doubled the lead in the 45th minute and completed her brace seven minutes into the second half. Nyenga also recorded a brace in the 65th minute. Substitute Evelyn Nthala scored from the spot in the 79th minute, and Alinafe Mpira rounded up the scores with a beauty in the 89th minute.

Head coach Millias Pofera Jegwe praised his team’s performance.

“We are very happy to have qualified for the semi-finals of this tournament. However, I think we played poorly in the opening minutes because the players underestimated our opponents. After talking to them, we got those huge goals,” said Pofera.

Khumbo Sibale, the coach of MK Academy, was happy with his team’s progress despite the loss.

“I’m happy because we are just a new team, and reaching the National Championship is an achievement. We faced an organized team and also had transportation issues, arriving only last night, so the girls were tired,” said Sibale.

Following these results, the two teams will not face each other in the semi-finals. Silver Strikers Ladies will play MDF Lioness in a thrilling semi-final match on Friday, while Civo United Women will face Ascent Academy on the same day, vying for a place in the final.

The winners of the semi-finals will progress to the final, which will be played on Sunday at the Bingu National Stadium. The champions will take home a sum of K8 million.