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ZESCO Ndola Girls Seal Group A Top Spot as Gaborone United Advance

Zambia’s ZESCO Ndola Girls finished top of Group A at the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifier Botswana 2026 after securing a convincing 2-0 victory over hosts and defending champions Gaborone United at the Gaborone United Stadium on Monday.


The win completed a perfect group-stage campaign for last year’s beaten finalists, who collected nine points from three matches. Gaborone United finished second and also secured their place in the semi-finals.

ZESCO made the perfect start, taking the lead inside the opening minute. Eneless Phiri delivered a dangerous corner into the box, with Charity Mubanga rising highest to power a header past the Gaborone United defence.

The hosts responded with increased pressure as they searched for an equaliser, but ZESCO remained resolute at the back. Their defensive discipline was rewarded late in the match when Avell Chitundu struck with a close-range header to seal all three points for the Zambian side.

The defeat marked Gaborone United’s first loss in regulation time at the regional finals. Their only previous defeat in the competition came on penalties in the 2024 final.

Elsewhere in Group A, Herentals Queens ended their campaign on a positive note with a 1-0 victory over Lesotho Defence Force. The decisive moment came in the 33rd minute when 14-year-old Dee Mapuwa found the back of the net on her competition debut. The youngster showed composure under pressure from a defender, controlling the ball before guiding her finish into the far corner.

Mapuwa’s goal made her the youngest goalscorer in the history of the competition, while the victory ensured Herentals Queens finished their campaign on a high. LDF, meanwhile, suffered their third consecutive defeat.

Group B Semi-Final Race Goes Down to the Wire

The final two semi-finalists will be determined on Tuesday when Group B concludes at the Gaborone United Stadium.

Silver Strikers of Malawi will face Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs at 4:00 p.m. local time, before two-time African champions Mamelodi Sundowns take on Mozambique’s Costa do Sol at 7:00 p.m.

Sundowns currently lead the group with six points and need only a draw to guarantee their place in the semi-finals. Silver Strikers and Costa do Sol both have three points, with the Malawian side holding the advantage after defeating the Mozambican outfit earlier in the tournament.

A win for Silver Strikers, combined with Sundowns avoiding defeat, would see the Malawians progress. A draw could also be enough for Silver Strikers if Costa do Sol fail to defeat Sundowns. Costa do Sol, meanwhile, know that victory would strengthen their hopes of reaching the last four, while a draw would only be sufficient if Silver Strikers lose.

Nsingizini Hotspurs remain mathematically alive despite losing their opening two matches. They need a sizeable victory over Silver Strikers and a Sundowns win against Costa do Sol to create a three-way tie on three points, with the head-to-head criteria then determining the qualifiers.

If both Costa do Sol and Silver Strikers win, Sundowns, Costa do Sol and Silver Strikers would all finish on six points, leaving the qualification race to be decided by the tournament’s tiebreak criteria.

Writer: Jabulile Mabena

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