Ongos Ladies struggle in Cosafa qualifier
Football
The Namibians winless streak at this level was extended to five matches.
Ongos Ladies FC's hopes of advancing in the CAF Women’s Champions League Cosafa Qualifier were dashed after a 3-0 defeat to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Malawi on Saturday. This loss, their second in a row following the 1-3 result against, leaves the Namibian team winless and out of contention for a semi-final spot.
UWC, rebounding from an earlier 1-0 loss to Green Buffaloes, dominated the match with goals from Sibulele Holweni, Fikile Magama and Bongeka Gamede in the 20th, 31st and 56th minutes. The victory revived UWC’s semifinal hopes, while Ongos Ladies struggled to find their rhythm.
Reflecting on the defeat, the Ongos coach Agnus Elemu expressed frustration, citing defensive lapses and a lack of technical discipline as key issues.
“We have been giving away easy goals. We lose our technical discipline,” the coach said. "For the last group match, we have to maintain discipline. The girls need to show better; we are here to compete.”
Ongos Ladies now face a challenging final group stage match against the 2022 Cosafa champion club, Zambia’s Green Buffaloes, who are also seeking a crucial win to advance. The Namibian side will be aiming to end their campaign with a strong performance, despite being out of the running for a semifinal berth.
Their journey in the tournament has been tough, starting with a 3-1 loss to Herentals Queens, where the Zimbabwean side dominated. Ongos Ladies struggled under pressure and were unable to recover in their subsequent match against UWC.
The Cosafa Qualifier is a critical pathway to the CAF Women’s Champions League continental finals tournament, where only the regional winner will join reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns. While Ongos Ladies may not advance, the experience has provided valuable exposure on the regional stage.
Today’s fixtures at Mpria Stadium:
FC Ongos vs Green Buffaloes, 12:00
UWC vs Herentals Queens, 15:00
Fans in Blantyre can attend the matches free of charge, with all games also streamed live on www.plus.fifa.com and the Cosafa YouTube channel.
Despite the challenges, Ongos Ladies FC will look to make the most of their remaining opportunity to compete and represent Namibian women’s football.