Once again it had to be someone or something to do with Tanzania denying a football team from Malawi silverware.
A few months ago on Tanzania soil, Express FC from Uganda denied Nyasa Big Bullets a shot at glory.
Express beat the Malawi domestic league landlords Bullets 1-0 in the Cecafa Kagame Cup final in Dar Es Salaam.
Now today Saturday, the curse from Tanzania descended on Malawi women’s football team.
The Scorchers from Malawi lost to their Tanzania counterparts 1-0 in the Cosafa Women’s Championship final at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Tanzania needed just 64 minutes to score the clincher through Enekia Lunyamila’s goal in this South African coastal city.
The Scorchers for Malawi could not provide a reply.
Cosafa website says in winning the title at the senior level, Tanzanian “now hold titles in all the women’s categories in COSAFA, Under-17, Under-20 and senior football.”
It was a case of so near, yet so far for Malawi who had reached the Cosafa final for the first time at this level.
In an earlier game played at the same venue, Zambia won bronze medal after edging out South Africa 4-3 on post-match penalties following a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time.
For a team used to winning everything in Southern Africa football competitions and even in the continent, it must feel surreal for Banyana Banyana to host Cosafa Women’s Championship and finish empty-handed.
Of course, not very empty-handed because South African Sibulele Holweni won the Golden Boot Award for the second year on the bounce with five goals.
In other individual awards, Tanzania’s Amina Bilali won Player of the Tournament accolade whereas Zambia’s Petronela Musole earned Goalkeeper of the Tournament crown.
Zambia’s Copper Queens also picked up the Fair Play award.
Starting Line-Ups:
Tanzania: Simba, Katunzi, Bilali, Sueimani, Shurua, Athuman, Pangamwene, Singano, Lunyamila, Tukumbuke, Mwaipaja
Malawi: Mhango, Nyirongo, Chimwemwe Madise, Patricia Nyirenda, Asimenye Simwaka, Sabina Thom, Chembekezo, Mvula, Nguluwe, Zainab Kapanda, Khumalo