Isaac Osman, head coach of Ntopwa Ladies FC, has issued a warning that his team will fight in their final Group A match against Zesco Ndola Girls on Tuesday in the ongoing COSAFA | CAF Women’s Champions League in South Africa.
Following consecutive losses, including a 3-0 loss to Namibia’s Beauties FC on Sunday, the Malawian champions are already out of the tournament.
In their second group game that same day, Zesco Ndola Girls, the Zambian champions, fell to Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0.
Osman acknowledged his disappointment with his team’s failure to build on a strong start after considering Ntopwa’s performance against Beauties.
“I’m very disappointed because the way we planned the game, I thought we were going to win. We created chances but failed to score. That early goal in the second half discouraged my girls, and our goalkeeper’s mistake on the free kick also affected the team’s confidence,” he said.
Despite the setbacks, Osman insists his young team is dedicated to finishing strong.
“We will not allow ourselves to go back to Malawi without winning a game. No matter what, we’ll come very strong against Zesco Ndola Girls. I’ll sit down with my girls and tell them how important it is to win this last match,” he added.
“Against Sundowns and Beauties we created opportunities but failed to convert. In football, when you don’t score your chances, your opponents punish you. That’s what happened to us. We need to find a way to make use of the opportunities we get,” he explained.
In the meantime, William Zulu, the coach of Zesco Ndola Girls, thinks the team still has a chance (against Ntopwa) to make it to the semifinals.
“Another tricky game, Ntopwa; they are not push-overs. We just have to come and work extra hard, and then we will achieve what we want. If we underrate them, they haven’t won any game, and they can start winning on us, so we just have to come seriously pick points, and then we go to the semi-finals,” Zulu said.
“We Have Young Girls” – Osman.
Osman maintains that his youthful squad is committed to finishing strong in spite of the setbacks.
“We have many talented young girls. This is part of the learning process. I also take responsibility as a coach—I need to improve myself, learn more, and come back stronger with the team,” he said.
Tuesday’s match between Ntopwa Ladies and Zesco Ndola Girls looks to be a fierce last Group A match, with both teams looking to bounce back from Sunday’s disappointing results.
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