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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter

THE Mighty Warriors coaching staff have a lot of lessons to pick from the success of Tanzania women’s football.

The East African side won the COSAFA Women Championships on Saturday in South Africa, when they beat Malawi, 1-0.

It was the first time that the hosts were not part of the final.

The Twiga Stars had a clear strategy, and game plan, from the first day.

They humbled the Mighty Warriors 3-0 while fielding a youthful side selected by coach Bakari Shime.

The coach picked the troops from the teams he led at the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championships and the 2020 COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championships.

They won both tournaments.

His team had some 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds, including Aisha Masaka, who was last year’s top goalscorer, at the Under-17 Championships.

The coach mixed her team with two old guards, including 31-year-old attacking midfielder Mwanahamisi Shurua.

It’s a template which the Mighty Warriors should also consider.

The technical department need to rope in more junior players, and build a squad, for the future.

The Mighty Warriors have shifted focus to the Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers.

ZIFA, who usually give the women’s national team little time to prepare, have resolved to keep the team in the camp, until the Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers start, on October 20.

Zimbabwe will travel to Mbabane, for the Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifier first leg, on October 20.

They host Eswatini at the National Sports Stadium on October 26.

Despite Eswatini being Group C whipping boys, at the COSAFA Championships, where they lost 0-5 to Zambia, 1-5 to Uganda and 0-1 to Namibia, the Mighty Warriors are fully aware of the dangers, of complacency.

The Mighty Warriors nearly drew against lowly South Sudan, who only have one international victory.

Zimbabwe and Botswana are likely to meet again, in the AWCON last qualifying round, if they win their first-round matches against Eswatini and Mozambique.

The AWCON finals will be held in Morocco, from July 2 to July 23.

The tournament also serves as the African qualifiers to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The top four teams from the AWCON finals will qualify for the global showcase.

Two more teams will have a chance to qualify for the World Cup, if they win in the inter-confederation play-offs.