Coach for one of the country’s best women football, Thom Mkolongo is asking Malawian fans to accord vibrant support for Ascent Soccer as they host this years CAF Women’s Champions League-COSAFA qualifier to be held at Mpira Stadium from tomorrow till August 24.
Speaking in an interview with Mpira TV at Mpira Stadium where the team is preparing for their debut appearance of the CAF qualifier, Mkolongo said they enjoy excellent support in their territory in Lilongwe but this is a different ball game altogether as they are representing the nation.
“Ours is a very young team in their first appearance of an international tournament of this magnitude,” he said. “The girls have been drilled to expect stiff competition and what they also need is very vibrant support from the home fans.”
The tournament attracts the hosts, Ascent Soccer; Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe); FC Ongos Ladies (Namibia); University of Western Cape (South Africa); Green Buffaloes (Zambia); Gaborone United Ladies (Botswana); UD Lichinga (Mozambique); Young Buffaloes (eSwatini).
Ascent Soccer are in Group B alongside Gaborone United Ladies (Botswana), Uniao Despotiva de Lichinga (Mozambique) and eSwatini’s Young Buffaloes.
The hosts will first meet Young Buffaloes on Friday, August 16 from 15h00 before meeting UD de Lichinga two days later, August 18 and Gaborone United on August 20.
Group A has University of Western Cape FC; 2022 winners, Green Buffaloes; Herentals Queens and FC Ongos Ladies from Namibia.
University of Western Cape; Herentals Queens (Group A); Gaborone United; União Desportiva de Lichinga; and Ascent Soccer (Group B) are five debutantes at this edition while eSwatini’s Young Buffaloes are appearing for the third time.
Mkolongo, who led the team to win the Malawi Women’s Football National Champions 2024 — that earned them a place in the CAF Women’s Champions League-COSAFA qualifier — assured that his players are well aware that there is a huge task ahead, but are psychologically prepared as well.
He added that they decided to arrive in Blantyre earlier in order to get acclimatised with Blantyre weather as well as get accustomed to Mpira Stadium’s artificial turf.
“We train and play on natural grass. We envisaged that the girls may find it tough playing on artificial turf and it proved correct because at first they were easily getting tired during training.
“We normally train once a day but for these preparations, we were training twice a day for the girls to get completely used to the artificial turf.”
Last year, Ascent Soccer lost in the final of last years Malawi Women’s Football National Champions against Ntopwa, who went on to represent the country at the CAF Women’s Champions League-COSAFA qualifier held in South Africa.
Mkolongo further said being hosts is an advantage for the players as it the home support will build more confidence in them to play well and make Malawians proud of positive development of women’s football.
“We are building better future of Malawian women football and fans should expect something big from the girls,” said Mkolongo, who was voted Coach of the Tournament during the Goshen National Championship 2024.
On her part, captain Mariam Nnenula, who was named Player of the Tournament in the Goshen National Championship 2024, said they are encouraging each other not to be intimidated by the opponents, as they have prepared well for the tournament.
She also asked fans to patronize their games since they are representing the country and all eyes in the COSAFA region are on the hosts in their debut appearance.
The top two teams in each of the groups advance to the semifinals, with only the winner of the competition advancing to the continental finals later this year, where two-time African champions Mamelodi Sundowns have already qualified as defending champions.
