Head coach of the national women’s U/17 team Errol Damaseb said he is pleased with the progress and preparedness of the 30 players selected for the upcoming Cosafa Women’s U/17 Championship.

The event kicks off tomorrow at Dr Hage Geingob Stadium.

“We’ve been focusing on fitness and tactics – so far, so good. I’m impressed and happy with how the girls have adapted to our training methods and playing style,” said Damaseb. 

“Their fitness levels are on point. They’re ready to compete. The best thing about this group is how quickly they learn, which makes our job easier. We’re ready. Come Saturday, we’ll be able to compete,” he added.

The Cosafa Women’s U/17 Championship returns for its sixth edition from 10 to 17 May. Two-time champions Zambia will be defending their title against eight other teams. 

The competition features nine nations, split into three groups of three.

Namibia will headline Group A, and face Malawi tomorrow at 15h00 at the Dr Hage Geingob Stadium. 

Their second match in the pool will be against Comoros next week Tuesday at the same time and venue.

Group B features reigning champions Zambia, along with Mozambique and Mauritius. 

Group C includes Lesotho, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Zambian head coach Carol Kanyemba, who led her team to the title last year and guided them to back-to-back Fifa U/17 Women’s World Cup appearances, acknowledged the pressure of defending the title, but remains confident.

“We’re entering the tournament as defending champions. We know every team will bring their best against us,” Kanyemba said. 

“We’ve cautioned the players against complacency, and are well-prepared mentally and tactically for the challenge ahead,” the coach stated.

Zambia enters the tournament on a dominant nine-match winning streak, scoring 48 goals and conceding only four. 

This strong form stems largely from their successful run in the Fifa U/17 Women’s World Cup African qualifiers, where they secured their second consecutive appearance at the global finals.

“The World Cup qualifiers gave the girls valuable experience and confidence. We believe those lessons will serve us well at Cosafa too,” Kanyemba added.

All the fixtures:

Saturday: 

Group A: Namibia vs Malawi (15h00)

Group B: Zambia vs Mozambique (12h00)

Sunday 

Group A: Malawi vs Comoros (15h00)

Group C: Lesotho vs Botswana (12h00)

Monday 

Group B: Mozambique vs Mauritius (12h00)

Group C: Botswana vs Zimbabwe (15h00)

Tuesday

Group A: Namibia vs Comoros (15h00)

Group B: Zambia vs Mauritius (12h00)

Wednesday 

Group C: Lesotho vs Zimbabwe (15h00)