THE Mighty Warriors’ bid to clinch the Three-Nation Tournament title fell short yesterday after a 3-1 defeat to the Copper Queens of Zambia at Bingu Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The Mighty Warriors, who had not played at an international stage for nine months, sought to cement their return on the football scene with a win over the Copper Queens of Zambia.
The Copper Queens were quick to outclass the Mighty Warriors, scoring two early goals courtesy of Eneles Phiri who netted a brace in the 10th and 12th minutes of the match.
Captain Nobukhosi Ncube pulled one back for the Mighty Warriors on the half-hour mark, offering a glimmer of hope. But the momentum was short-lived as Natasha Nanyangwe
restored Zambia’s two-goal cushion just two minutes before halftime.
Zimbabwe, largely comprising locally based players, emerged from the break determined to fight back against a more experienced, star-studded Zambian side. Coach Mebelo Ncube introduced Privilege Mupeti and Bridget Mutaurwa for Daisy Kaitano and Alice Moyo in a bid to spark a turnaround, but the changes failed to tilt the match.
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The Copper Queens held firm, and despite three minutes of added time, the Mighty Warriors could not find a breakthrough, the match ending 3-1.
Zimbabwe needed only a draw to win the mini-tournament but instead settled for second place with three points, finishing ahead of hosts Malawi, who collected a single point.