Zambia Crush Mauritius 9-0 to Seal COSAFA U17 Girls’ Championship Semifinal Spot
Defending champions Zambia cruised into the semifinals of the 2025 COSAFA Under-17 Girls’ Championship with a commanding 9-0 victory over Mauritius at the Hage Geingob Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
The emphatic result secured the Copper Princesses’ top spot in Group B with a perfect record—two wins from two, 13 goals scored, and none conceded. Having earlier defeated Mozambique 4-0, Zambia now prepares for a semifinal clash against the winners of Group C, which will be decided between Lesotho, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
Hellen Misozi Banda starred with a hat-trick and was named Player of the Match, while Gift Mazimba Chisha, Ruth Mukoma, Esther Makoti, Precious Mwape (brace), and Esther Ngwabe also got on the scoresheet. Zambia took full control from the outset and dominated throughout the 90 minutes.
Despite the resounding win, head coach Carol Kanyemba offered a grounded assessment of her team’s performance.
“We didn’t play a good game. We made a lot of wrong decisions and were in a haste to get goals without proper ball movement, which really affected us,” said Kanyemba. “We could have scored a lot more if only we passed the ball better and shot at the right time. Because of those mistakes, we missed a lot of chances.”
The Copper Princesses raced to a 3-0 halftime lead through goals from Mazimba (20’), Banda (24’), and captain Mukoma (32’). Substitutes Esther Makoti and Mary Nyangu made an immediate impact after the break, with Makoti scoring just three minutes into the second half.
Mauritius were reduced to ten players in the 52nd minute, and Zambia capitalized with a further flurry of goals, Banda completing her hat-trick (64’, 76’), Mwape scoring twice (73’, 80’), and Ngwabe adding the ninth in stoppage time.
Coach Kanyemba acknowledged the contributions of her defenders, who not only kept a clean sheet but also contributed on the score sheet.
“Our frontline was in too much of a hurry, but the defense made the right choices. We even scored from some set pieces, which shows the defenders played far better than the attack today.”
Looking ahead to Friday’s semifinal, Kanyemba emphasized the need for improved coordination and focus.
“The games will not be easier. We need to work on our team coordination and concentration. We give credit to the girls for what we’ve achieved so far, and we thank God for allowing us to come this far. Whether we face Botswana or Lesotho, we must be ready. If the players come to the party, we shall get the result we need.”
The Copper Princesses will play their semifinal on Friday, May 16 at 12h00 CAT. In the other semifinal, Malawi will take on the best-placed runner-up. Zambia remains on course to defend their title as they chase back-to-back COSAFA U17 crowns.
