06/09/2022
THE Gladiators need to be as ruthless as Zambia were on Sunday afternoon when putting seven unanswered goals past a hapless Lesotho to join the Copper Queens in reaching the semi-final berths.
Zambian star Barbra Banda scored five goals, with Evarine Katongo and Siomala Mapepa also on the scoresheet for Zambia, who have underlined their status as one of the pre-tournament favourites, having brought with them many of the players who won them the bronze medal at the recent Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
Namibia, who lost 2-0 to Zambia last week, are looking to heap more misery on Lesotho in similar fashion to ensure they qualify for the last four as the best second-placed team in the pool stages.
The Gladiators bounced back from that opening group B defeat with a 5-1 thrashing of Eswatini on Sunday to revive their chances of progression to the competition's second round.
It was not quite the reaction head coach Paulus Shipanga, who has only been with the action-deprived Gladiators for a month, had in mind as he demanded better for today's assignment.
The team should focus on winning their match and should not depend on results elsewhere to go in their favour, he said.
βWe haven't gone passed the group stages for about four years now, so it's something keen on doing,β he said.
βWe will definitely go out attacking again, suffocating teams. We need to get as many goals as we can, but with a cautious mind.β
Mozambique, who have scored six goals and conceded one, are presently on course for a semi-final berth as the best runner-up with four points from two group A matches.
They will face host and pool leaders South Africa, who have six points, in the final group game today.
βWe're prepared Lesotho's game tomorrow. The team is in good spirits. We've watched them play, so we've analysed their play. We're ready,β Anna Shaende, who made her senior international bow against Eswatini, said.
βThe coaches have given us everything. It's up to us to decide if we're going through or not. It's a big game, it's a final game for us. We're ready to make our nation proud once again.β
Assistant coach Thuba Sibanda said there is a full complement of playing personnel to choose from.
βIn yesterday's [Sunday's] game, we were carrying a few injuries, but nothing too worrying. We expect to have our full team available for tomorrow's game,β she said.
βObviously it's a crucial game for us. So, we're pulling all our guns out for tomorrow's game and hoping for the best outcome.β
