As the Mighty Warriors prepare for their second match in the ongoing Cosafa Women’s Championship against Namibia at Dobsonville this afternoon, vice-captain Nobukhosi Ncube has emphasized the importance of relentless attacking play.
The match is set to kick off at 3:30 pm.
Zimbabwe’s team is riding high on confidence after securing maximum points with a 1-0 victory over Lesotho in their opening match. With three points in hand, the Mighty Warriors currently top the group standings, while today’s opponents, Namibia, and Botswana each have one point. Lesotho anchors the group with no points.
Shadreck Mlauzi’s coached squad has a golden opportunity to strengthen their position with a second consecutive win against Namibia. However, Namibia has shown significant improvement in recent years, making them a formidable opponent.
Ncube stressed the significance of the match, stating, “The match against Namibia is crucial as far as our future in the tournament is concerned.”
Reflecting on their opening match against Lesotho, Ncube acknowledged that they should have capitalized on more goal-scoring opportunities, emphasizing the need to sharpen their attacking prowess.
She added, “Namibia is a very good team. They showed it in their opening game against Namibia. That means we need to be cautious and be compact in all departments. But it is our attack that we need to sharpen. We need to improve our conversion rate.”
In all likelihood, Ncube will retain her position at the heart of Mlauzi’s back three, alongside Purity Mugayi and Vimbai Mharadzi. Edline Mutumbami, who had a significant impact as a substitute in the Lesotho match, is also expected to start.
Winger Privilege Mupeti, who scored in the previous game, is likely to be included in the starting lineup, as Mlauzi indicated he would make some changes to the team.
Mlauzi emphasized the importance of this match, saying, “Namibia is a tough opponent, and we need to step up to the plate. This is a very crucial match that we need to win. If we beat Namibia, we stand a very good chance of progressing to the semi-finals.”
Zimbabwe will conclude their group stage matches against Botswana on Wednesday. The top teams from each group, along with the best-placed runner-up across the groups, will advance to the semi-finals.
Mighty Warriors Probable Line-Up:
- Cynthia Shonga
- Eunice Chibanda
- Purity Mugayi
- Vimbai Mharadzi
- Nobukhosi Ncube
- Daisy Kaitano
- Shyleene Dambamuromo
- Edline Mutumbami
- Christable Katona
- Privilege Mupeti
- Rudo Neshamba
