Zimbabwe women’s coach shares secret for overcoming Malawi

Zimbabwe women’s coach Sithethelewe Sibanda credited her team’s defensive discipline after beating hosts Malawi 2-1 in a three-nation tournament’s opener in Lilongwe on Friday.

The Mighty Warriors’ striker Ethel Chinyerere scored a first-half brace to stun the Scorchers whose only reply came from Sweden-based Faith Chimzimu at Bingu National Stadium.

Reflecting on the game, Sibanda hailed her girls for overcoming a lack of match-fitness to ground out a result against the Lovemore Fazili’s strong side.

“Overall, it was a good tactical game. It was very tough approaching this game after nine to 10 months of inactivity,” Sibanda told a post-match press conference.

“We knew that their [Malawi] cohesion was going to be much better than us. The game was tough. We just had to have better cohesion then try to hit them on counter breaks.

“I think at that moment, they were a bit open and we kept our defensive shape. We wanted to hit them on the counter and make the most of the half chances we created. Credit to the players for transiting well from the defence to attack.”

Who else is involved in tournament in Malawi?

Malawi return to action on Sunday to face Zambia, with both teams using the tournament to prepare for the forthcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) finals scheduled for Morocco in March.

The Football Association of Malawi organized the competition as part of the WAFCON preparations.

Zambia travelled to Lilongwe with a near full-strength side with injured skipper Barbra Banda being the only notable absentee.

Three-Nation Tournament Fixtures

Sunday

Malawi v Zambia @ 3pm Southern African time

Tuesday

Zambia v Zimbabwe @ 3pm Southern African time