Copper Princesses Begin Title Defense in Style with Dominant Win Over Mozambique
Windhoek, Namibia – May 10, 2025
Defending champions Zambia kicked off their COSAFA Under-17 Girls’ Championship campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Mozambique at the Hage Geingob Stadium on Saturday, signaling their intent to retain the title.
Forward Ruth Mukoma was the star of the show, bagging a brace and earning Player of the Match honors in a performance that saw the Copper Princesses dominate proceedings from start to finish. Grace ‘Pogba’ Phiri and Natasha Kasema also found the back of the net in what was a comprehensive Group B opener for the Zambian side.
Zambia wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Mukoma opening the scoring in the sixth minute. The striker capitalized on a defensive lapse to blast a powerful shot into the roof of the net. Phiri then doubled the lead in the 35th minute, calmly slotting home from close range after a clever assist from Beatrice Njobvu.
Coach Carol Kanyemba’s side took a 2-0 lead into the break and made changes early in the second half, including bringing on Natasha Chileshe for Phiri. Despite a sluggish restart, Zambia found their rhythm again as the game wore on.
Kasema added a third in the 77th minute with a stunning long-range effort, before Mukoma completed her brace in the 81st minute, pouncing on a defensive error to seal the win.
Mozambique, who now face Mauritius next, struggled to contain Zambia’s midfield orchestrated by Taonga Mubanga and will be looking to bounce back quickly.
With this result, Zambia top Group B and reaffirm their status as early favorites for the 2025 edition of the tournament.
