Ongos Ladies fall short in tough opener
Football
The Namibians will have their work cut out to stay in contention.
Ongos Ladies FC are on the back foot in their CAF Women’s Champions League Cosafa Qualifiers campaign, following yesterday’s 3-1 defeat against Zimbabwe's Herentals Queens in their opening match. The Namibian champion club, placed in Group A alongside University of the Western Cape (UWC) from South Africa and Green Buffaloes from Zambia, finds themselves needing to regroup and refocus as they prepare for their next matches.
Yesterday’s tournament opener in Blantyre, Malawi, began with pressure on the Namibians right from the start. Herentals’ Maudy Mafuruse broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to give her team the lead.
Just nine minutes later, Tumbare Egness doubled Herentals’ advantage by converting a penalty, putting Ongos Ladies in a difficult position as they went into halftime trailing 2-0.
The second half saw Herentals Queens continue to dominate, with Melody Chikore coming off the bench to add a third goal in the 69th minute.
Ongos struggled to create meaningful opportunities, but their perseverance was rewarded in the 90th minute. A well-placed free-kick by Iina Katuta resulted in a stunning volley, giving Ongos Ladies a late consolation goal. Despite this moment of brilliance, the match ended 3-1 in favor of the Zimbabwean side.
Head coach Agnus Elemu expressed his disappointment with the team's performance, particularly in the first half. “We lost the game in the first half after the mistakes we made. At competitions like this, we can’t afford to make such errors. All three goals were really just goals we gave away.
“The girls started on a low; we were not first on the ball. In the second half, we did better, but we look forward to the next game."
Maudy Mafuruse was named the player of the match for her impactful performance, including the opening goal. “The win is a huge boost; it will motivate us for the next game," she said.
Ongos Ladies now face crucial matches against UWC on Saturday and against Green Buffaloes on Monday. These games will be key in determining their chances of survival.
The top two teams in each pool advance to the semifinals. The winner of each of the semifinals contest the final on August 24. No bronze medal match will be played. Only the Cosafa winning side will join holders Mamelodi Sundowns in the continental showpiece event later this year.