ZESCO Ndola Girls’ Football Club has come close to defending the ZPL Women’s Super League title after narrowly defeating Green Buffaloes Women 1-0 in a rescheduled Week 20 fixture held at Trade Fair Grounds in Ndola.
The victory strengthened the defending champions’ grip at the top of the table as they moved to 79 points after 31 matches, opening a five-point gap over second-placed Green Buffaloes, who remain on 74 points from the same number of games.
With only three matches remaining, ZESCO Ndola Girls now need just four more points to mathematically secure the league crown. A win and a draw in their next fixtures would see them surpass 84 points, beyond the reach of Green Buffaloes, whose maximum possible tally now stands at 83 points.
The result also effectively ended third-placed Indeni Roses’ hopes of winning the league title despite their strong campaign this season.
ZESCO Ndola Girls will now shift focus to Lusaka, where they face Green Eagles Women in a crucial Week 33 encounter as they continue their march towards another league triumph.
Despite the defeat, Green Buffaloes Women’s head coach Charles Haalubono praised his side’s effort but admitted the loss was difficult to take.
“We experienced a painful loss yesterday. We fought hard, but we did not achieve the result we expected,” Haalubono told Bola News in a post-match interview.
“They created scoring opportunities in the early stages of the match. They put a lot of pressure on us, and later on they got a goal,” he said.
Haalubono added that his side improved after the break but were unfortunate not to find an equaliser.
“In the second half, we fought fiercely. Unfortunately, our attempts ended up hitting the crossbar,” he said.
The latest standings see ZESCO Ndola Girls leading the pack with 79 points, followed by Green Buffaloes on 74, while Indeni Roses sit third on 71 points after 32 matches played.
The winner of the ZPL Women’s Super League will also represent the country in the CAF-COSAFA Women’s Champions League.
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