Bots U-17 women get a hammering

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Monday January 23, 2012 00:00

 

The huffing and puffing Botswana side were promising in the first few minutes of the first half, but failed to maintain the tempo of the game.

The newly assembled Zambia team were tactically and physically the  better side.  Zambia took advantage of the Botswana team that lacked urgency scoring with ease, as supporters who came in their numbers were once again disappointed.  Zambia caught Botswana on the break resulting in  Beauty Mulenga beating goalkeeper Sedilame Boseja. But Kitso Sheba levelled the matters just three minutes before recess.

It was clear in the second half that Botswana girls lacked purpose and motivation as they could not contain their counterparts.

Zambia capitalised on that with the 'mohawk' hairstyled duo of the two-goal hero Helen Mubanga and Mwaka Mupeta giving the local side a torrid time.Other goals came through Nchawaka Saile and Jackline Mulenga.

Despite the poor showing, the team coach, Jacqualine Sefemo believed that her team have improved. She also believed that it was not too late to pick up the  pieces.She said that she has picked the team's mistakes and will work on them before the return leg in Zambia in two weeks time. She also believed that her team was not tactically bad saying there were just let down by lack of physical fitness.

The coach felt they could have performed much better if they had an international friendly game. 'We beat local teams that we played friendly matches against and we probably thought we were good enough,' she said. She said an international friendly game could have given them a picture of what to excpect in a game of such magnitude.

The Zambian coach, Beauty Mwamba said the first half was a game that could go either way, but her girls coordinated well in the second half. She conceded that their opponents had skills, but lacked fitness.