Silver Strikers Ladies open COSAFA qualifiers against Costa do Sol

Silver Strikers Ladies will start their COSAFA qualifying campaign against Mozambique’s Costa do Sol on Friday in Botswana. The Malawi champions arrive from a domestic season in which they have collected 28 points from 13 Malawi Super League matches.

Silver Strikers lead the Malawian league with eight wins, four draws and one defeat. They have scored 23 goals and conceded five, giving them the strongest defensive record among the figures provided. Their latest five league matches have produced three draws and two victories.

Those recent results include a 1-1 draw away to Mitundu Baptist, a 4-1 home win over Karonga United, a goalless draw at Chitipa United, a 3-0 victory against Red Lions FC and a 1-1 draw away to CIVO United. The sequence leaves the side unbeaten across those five fixtures, although three draws have slowed their progress compared with a run built entirely on wins.

The COSAFA competition runs until August 30 and offers a place in the CAF Women’s Champions League to the eventual winner. Silver Strikers arrived in Gaborone on Wednesday after travelling from Malawi, with Costa do Sol providing their first test in the regional tournament.

Coach Andrew Chikhosi believes the team’s preparation has put it in a position to compete. He also said Malawi’s national team run at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has given the club squad additional motivation as it seeks success on the regional stage.

Five players who featured for the Scorchers at that tournament are part of the Silver Strikers camp in Botswana: Ireen Khumalo, Chikondi Gondwe, Tionge Phiri, Madyina Ngulube and Deborah Henry. Henry joined the squad directly from Morocco, while the others have also brought recent international experience into the club’s first COSAFA fixture.

The regional campaign comes before Silver Strikers’ next listed domestic match, a home fixture against Dedza Dynamos on August 23. For now, the focus is on Costa do Sol and the opening step towards Malawi’s first CAF Women’s Champions League qualification.