{"id":53494,"date":"2017-09-14T11:11:26","date_gmt":"2017-09-14T09:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.times.mw\/?p=53494"},"modified":"2017-09-14T11:11:27","modified_gmt":"2017-09-14T09:11:27","slug":"she-flames-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/2017\/09\/14\/she-flames-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"She-Flames fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

M<\/strong>alawi Women\u2019s National Football Team lacked strength, speed, endurance and shape as they crumbled to a 6-3 loss to rampant She-polopolo of Zambia in Zimbabwe Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The only exception to the She-Flames\u2019 trials and tribulations was Sweden-based striker Tabitha Chawinga, who bagged a sumptuous hat-trick in this Group A qualifying match of the Cosafa Women\u2019s Championship played at a deserted Barbourfields Stadium.<\/p>\n

It was more like Chawinga against the speedy and well-built Zambians, who played a long-ball game.<\/p>\n

Malawi fell into the neighbours\u2019 trap by hoofing long balls upfront, thereby giving Chawinga poor service.<\/p>\n

The loss compromises Malawi\u2019s chances of making the semi-final cut from the group, with the Zambians and Zimbabwe, who met Madagascar in a late kick off at the same venue Wednesday, as strong favourites.<\/p>\n

Only group winners will progress to the last-four of the 12-member regional women\u2019s championship. Next, Malawi takes on Madagascar tomorrow before winding up with Zimbabwe on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Man-of-the match Barbara Banda, who also scored three goals for Zambia, and her Coach, Albert Kachinga, in separate post-match interviews with Kwese Television<\/em>, had the humility to give credit to the Stuart Mbolembole\u2019s Malawi girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cMalawi is a good team. It was not an easy game. I wish Malawi all the best,\u201d Banda said.<\/p>\n

Taking his turn, Kachinga said: \u201cIt was an excellent game. I must admit that Malawi gave us a good run. It was a hard fought victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malawi, deploying a 4-4- 2 system, started the game strongly, putting their noses in front through Chawinga\u2019s hard-and low finish in the ninth minute.<\/p>\n

Zambia responded through Banda six minutes later.<\/p>\n

The Zambian striker scored the second and third goals in the 36th and 37th minutes, only for Chawinga to add his second.<\/p>\n

Half-time ended 3-2 in favour of the neighbours. In the second-half, the Zambians simply continued from where they left.<\/p>\n

Rachel Zulu netted the fourth goal for Zambia from an acute angle in the 54th minute before being denied by a double save by Malawi goalkeeper Martha Banda.<\/p>\n

Zambian striker Banda added the fifth goal in the 77th minute on the break.<\/p>\n

Minutes later, Chawinga raced clear on the left before firing into the net from the near post with his left-foot nine minutes later. It was an absolute wonder goal as he turned his marker inside-out before picking his spot.<\/p>\n

In added time, Zambia\u2019s substitute Rachel Nachula completed the demolition with a low connection after a cut-back, leaving Malawi defence in sixes and sevens.<\/p>\n

Malawi starting XI: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Martha Banda, Fatsireni Kazembe, Patricia Nyirenda, Chisomo Kazisonga, Wezzie Mzula, Sabina Thom, Eluby Bottoman, Madna Ngulube, Tabitha Chawinga, Mary Chabvinda, Temwa Chawinga.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Malawi Women\u2019s National Football Team lacked strength, speed, endurance and shape as they crumbled to a 6-3 loss to rampant She-polopolo of Zambia in Zimbabwe Wednesday. The only exception to the She-Flames\u2019 trials and tribulations was Sweden-based striker Tabitha Chawinga, who bagged a sumptuous hat-trick in this Group A qualifying match of the Cosafa Women\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":53447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53494"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53496,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53494\/revisions\/53496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.times.mw\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}