Cape Town — Banyana Banyana and Namibia have joined Zambia in the semi-finals of the 2022 Cosafa Women’s Championship following the completion of Groups A and B in Gqeberha on Tuesday.
South Africa drew 1-1 with Mozambique to top Group A with seven points, while Zambia had already secured a semi-final place before their 2-0 Group B win over Eswatini.
Zambia topped the group, but Namibia’s 2-0 victory over Lesotho secured them second place and no other potential runner-up in the competition can match their six points.
It means Banyana will take on the Namibians in Friday’s semi-finals, while Zambia await the winner of Group C, which will be decided on Wednesday.
Goals in each half from Memory Ngonda, with a superb long-range shot, and Zenatha Coleman sealed victory for Namibia, who will now hope to reach a first final since 2006 when they lost to Banyana.
Zambia had already secured top spot in the group before Tuesday’s matches and were made to work hard by Eswatini before also running out 2-0 winners.
Eneless Phiri got the first for the Copper Queens before Barbra Banda scored her eighth goal of the competition to seal the three points.
Banyana and Mozambique could not be separated as they played to a 1-1 stalemate in Group A.
Mozambique took the lead through Cidalia Cuta as she scored her second of the competition, but Banyana levelled things eight minutes into the second half as Sphumelele Shamase also netted her second at the tournament.
Angola breezed past Mauritius with a 3-0 victory as Sara Luvunga scored a brace and Teresa Evaristo got the other, as they finished on a high to at least salvage some pride.
Group C will be decided on Wednesday, when there is a straight shoot-out for top spot between defending champions Tanzania and last year’s beaten finalists Malawi.
Should that match end in a draw, and Botswana beat Comoros, as expected, that would leave all three teams on five points and officials having to get their calculators out.
Both those matches are at 3.30pm, with Tanzania taking on Malawi at Wolfson Stadium and Comoros playing Botswana at Madibaz Stadium.
IOL Sport