Silver Strikers Ladies set for Costa do Sol test as COSAFA qualifiers begin

Silver Strikers Ladies have touched down in Gaborone as they eye a maiden charge towards the CAF Women’s Champions League — and it’s a Friday date with Mozambique’s Costa do Sol that kicks things off.

The Malawian champions swapped Kamuzu International for Sir Seretse Khama International on Wednesday, landing in Botswana with the COSAFA qualifiers firmly in their sights. The regional showpiece runs through to August 30, with a coveted continental berth up for grabs to the side who comes out on top.

Boss Andrew Chikhosi says the hard yards are done and his side are primed to deliver. “We had enough time to prepare, and we are ready for the challenge,” the coach declared ahead of the opener.

And there’s extra fire in the belly, too. Chikhosi revealed the national side’s — the Scorchers’ — memorable run at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has lit a spark within his squad, with the players determined to carry that momentum into club competition and fly the Malawian flag with pride.

That WAFCON influence isn’t just symbolic, either. Five Scorchers who lit up the tournament in Morocco have linked up with the Silver Strikers Ladies camp in Botswana — Ireen Khumalo, Chikondi Gondwe, Tionge Phiri, Madyina Ngulube and Deborah Henry, the latter jetting in straight from Moroccan soil.

Now the focus shifts to Friday, when Silver Strikers Ladies open their COSAFA campaign against Costa do Sol — the first step on the road to continental qualification.