ZESCO Ndola Girls concluded their group stage campaign in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers with a dramatic 5-3 victory over Malawian side Ntopwa FC.
The Zambian champions looked to be cruising after storming to a 5-0 lead, but a late surge from Ntopwa turned the game into a tense, edge-of-the-seat spectacle.
⚡ First Half: ZESCO Show Dominance
It took just eight minutes for skipper Avell Chitundu to break the deadlock, finishing smartly from close range after a perfectly weighted pass from Judith Soko.
ZESCO continued to press and thought they had doubled the lead when Penelope Mulubwa found the net, only for her effort to be ruled out for offside. The pressure, however, eventually paid off as Eneless Phiri struck just before halftime to give the Zegalicious Girls a comfortable 2-0 lead.
🔥 Second Half: Goals Galore
The second half started the same way the first ended—ZESCO on the front foot. Substitute Charity Mubanga made it 3-0 with a close-range finish just three minutes after the restart.
At the 64th minute mark, Mila Malambo scored a stunner, marking her first-ever goal for ZESCO. Soon after, Phiri returned to the spotlight, dribbling past four defenders before unleashing a ferocious strike to extend the lead to 5-0.
At that point, it looked like ZESCO were on course for a routine victory. But football, as always, had other plans.
💥 Ntopwa’s Late Fightback
With just under 10 minutes to play, Rose Alufandika pulled one back for Ntopwa with a well-placed header from a corner.
Two minutes later, Kondawo Banda unleashed a thunderbolt past goalkeeper Hazel Nali, reducing the deficit to 5-2.
The drama continued deep into stoppage time when Jessie Yosefe broke free and calmly slotted past Nali to make it 5-3.
Despite the scare, ZESCO held on for a vital win that keeps their qualification hopes alive.
🌟 Player of the Match
Eneless Phiri was deservedly named Player of the Match after scoring twice and orchestrating most of ZESCO’s attacking play.
🔎 What’s Next?
ZESCO Ndola Girls now await the outcome of the next Group B matches to know their fate. Depending on results, they could secure a semi-final spot in the COSAFA Qualifiers.
Elsewhere in the competition:
The stage is set for more twists as teams battle for a place in the knockout stages.
✅ Full-Time Score
ZESCO Ndola Girls 5–3 Ntopwa FC
⚽ Chitundu (8’), Phiri (44’, 78’), Mubanga (48’), Malambo (64’) | Alufandika (81’), Banda (90’), Yosefe (90+5’)
