ZESCO Ndola Girls Football Club’s Group B opponents, Beauties Football Club of Namibia, are facing financial challenges ahead of their COSAFA| CAF Women’s Champions League qualifier campaign.
The Namibian champions are drawn alongside Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC (South Africa), Ntopwa FC (Malawi), and ZESCO Ndola Girls for the tournament, which will be staged in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 22 to 30 August. The group winners and the best runner-up will progress to the knockout stages.
After clinching their domestic championship in May, Beauties FC received N$250,000 (K327,300). However, club owner and head coach Salome Iyambo says the amount is insufficient.
Iyambo explained that Beauties FC currently has no sponsor and relies on individual contributions to run the club — a venture she described as expensive.
“After a long season, you cannot let players go home without giving them something, so the money we received for winning the league went to that. The leftover is what we are currently using for preparations, and it can get depleted at any moment. Any help will boost our preparations and participation in the competition,” Iyambo told Windhoek Observer.
The club has since appealed to the Namibian government for support to cover CAF-mandated expenses such as hiring a licensed coach, qualified medics, providing tracksuits, and meals for players. Additionally, if traveling by bus to South Africa, they must use the same bus for all transport during the tournament.
Despite the financial strain, Iyambo expressed the club’s ambition to compete favourably in the competition.
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