Our focus is making it to the finals – says Mighty Warriors coach as team leaves for COSAFA Cup

ZIMBABWE senior women’s football team left the country on Tuesday morning for South Africa where they will compete in the 2024 COSAFA Cup. The team will have a day of training (Wednesday) before playing their opening match against Mozambique on Thursday as part of Group D action. Other than Mozambique, Zimbabwe’s group is completed by Lesotho and only the top team will progress to the semi-finals where it will face competitors from the other three groups.

Mighty Warriors’s clash against Mozambique is more of a revenge match after they were eliminated by the same opponents, in the semi-finals of last year’s edition. “We always want to challenge ourselves, we don’t just go there as ordinary participants. “Already we are playing a team that knocked us out last year in the opening game and it’s a motivation to the girls because they want revenge, so the mood is positive,” said team head coach Sithethelelwe”Kwinji 15 ” Sibanda.



With foreign-based players in the team like goalkeeper Cynthia Shonga who plays for Richards Bay, the Mighty Warriors coach is expecting a good outing at the tournament. “We want to go there and make it even up to the final, that is our focus. “It’s every coach and every players’ ambition to get to the top of the competition and we are not exceptional,” added Kwinji 15.

Zimbabwe picked a young squad for the tournament, leaving other foreign-based experienced players like Immaculate Msipa who is playing in Israel and Dananai Bhobho who is in Tanzania. For coach Kwinji 15, the tournament is also room to give youngsters an opportunity, and it’s part of her preparations for next year’s AFCON Qualifiers. Zimbabwe will be hoping to win its second COSAFA Cup in history since 2011 when it lifted its only trophy.

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