Scorchers head coach Lovemore Fazili says will be aiming for a second straight win when they face Eswatini this afternoon to increase their chances of punching a ticket to the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship semi-finals.
The two sides clash at Dobsonville Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa this afternoon after registering victories in their opening matches played at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday.
The Scorchers stunned hosts South Africa 4-3 while Eswatini came from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1.
Heading into the tie, Malawi top Group A above Eswatini on goal-difference.
The Scorchers will take a giant step towards qualification for the semi-finals of the competition if they beat Eswatini in Saturday’s match.
On the other hand, Malawi can book a place in the semi-finals with a game to spare should South Africa register a win over Madagascar in another Group A match.
Fazili said the players are in high spirits ahead of the match.
“We have finalised our preparations for the match against Eswatini and the good news is that the doctor certified all the players fit for the match.
“We are taking the game seriously as they are also a strong side just like South Africa. We do not know much about Eswatini and we should not want relax.
“But all in all, we are ready for the battle and we want to win with a huge margin than what we did with South Africa,” said Fazili.
The coach is expected to maintain the same the first eleven which stunned against South Africa.
This is a crucial match for both sides as they have chances of qualifying for the semifinals.
The Scorchers ranked 159 in the world have quality in abundance having included three foriegn country based players namely Captain Temwa Chawinga, ( Wuhan Jiangda, China), who scored a hattrick against South Africa, Sabina Thom of TP Mazembe ( Democratic Republic of Congo) and Chimwemwe Madise of Elite Ladies in Zambia.
However, Eswatini ranked 176 in the world should not be underrated as they have shown alot of potential.
On her part, Chawinga said they are focused on getting maximum points.
” We do not know much about eSwatini but we expect a tough match. We played against South Africa which was abit an easy match but eSwatini will likely come hard on us. We are more than ready for the battle, ” said Chawinga.
The Scorchers will wrap up group stage campaign against Madagascar on Tuesday at UJ Soweto Stadium.
In another match on Tuesday, South Africa will face Eswatini.
Group winners will advance to the semi-finals of the tournament and they will be joined by the overall best runner-up.
The Scorchers have never won the Cosafa Women’s Championship but finished as runners-up to Tanzania in 2021
