‘Buffs’ fighting for bronze in COSAFA

MBABANE – All is not lost for Young Buffaloes Ladies who lost 0-4 to Zambia’s Green Buffaloes in the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Champions League 2022 opener.

The domestic league champions’ hopes of finishing top of the chart in their Group B pool were dashed after the loss, since only the top team in each group progresses to the finals where they would fight for qualification to advance to the CAF Women’s Champions League scheduled to be played in Morocco later this year. There is only one slot for COSAFA teams in the continental finals.

The second-placed teams in the two groups of three teams will fight for bronze. Asked how she would motivate her players after the loss to Zambia’s Green Buffaloes, Coach Fisiwe Hlophe said; “I will tell my players that there is nothing lost. They still have a game. We can still fight for the bronze because we have already lost a fight for the championship.”

Meanwhile, Green Buffaloes Coach Charles Haalubono disputed claims that Young Buffaloes were an easy target for his team considering the ample experience that they brought along from the recently-ended Women’s African Football Cup of Nations where they won bronze after

COSAFA WOMEN’S CHAMPS. LEAGUE FIXTURES:

beating Botswana. Noteworthy is that Green Buffaloes had about five of their players in the Zambian National team, including brace scorer Ireen Lunga. They were also among the top three teams, including Mamelodi Sundowns and Botswana’s Double Action Ladies who reached the semi-finals in 2021 where Eswatini was represented by Manzini Wanderers.

“The experience they got after WAFCON, well did they use it nicely? From my side, I knew it was not going to be easy. It was a military derby. It was a big