Zesco Girls make bright start in Botswana

Zambian women's football champions ZESCO Ndola Girls have commenced their quest for continental glory with a stellar performance at the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifier in Gaborone, Botswana. Competing at the GU Stadium, the Ndola-based powerhouse entered the regional tournament carrying the hopes of the nation and a reputation as one of Southern Africa's most formidable rising sides. Having dominated the Zambia Women’s Super League with successive title defenses, the squad traveled south with a clear mandate to go one step further than their impressive runner-up finish in the previous edition. Drawn in a fiercely competitive Group A alongside hosts Gaborone United, Zimbabwe’s Herentals Queens, and the Lesotho Defence Force Ladies, ZESCO understood that early momentum would be vital. Their opening encounter against Herentals Queens proved to be a tactical battle that tested the depth, resilience, and technical capabilities of the Zambian champions. Right from the opening whistle, the Copperbelt ambassadors asserted authority in midfield, dictating the tempo and restricting the Zimbabwean side's attacking transitions. The fixture underscored the rapid growth and competitiveness of women's club football across the COSAFA region, where domestic dominance must quickly translate to high-intensity international execution. For ZESCO Ndola Girls, the journey to Botswana is underpinned by meticulous preparation, including rigorous preparatory camps and international friendlies designed to harden the squad against elite opposition. Technical bench leadership has emphasized mental toughness, noting that the heartbreak of missing out on the ultimate prize by narrow margins last year has served as primary motivation. Key players, many of whom feature prominently within the broader Zambian national team ecosystem, brought invaluable experience and composure to the pitch, neutralizing threats and orchestrating fluid attacking sequences. As the group stage p