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Grace Chingoma–Senior Sports Reporter

MIGHTY Warriors skipper, Emmaculate Msipa, is worried that her Spanish club, CF Joventut Almasorra, continue to slip towards the relegation zone in the Segunda Division Pro. 

Almasorra lost 0-1, away to La Solana on Saturday evening, in the second level of the league competition for Spanish women’s football. 

Msipa, who has become a regular in the team, was again part of the side, which travelled for the match. 

The team are now in eighth place in the nine-team league, of the relegation round south. They are just above Valencia II, who anchor the table, in that region. 

Msipa’s team have 17 points from 20 matches, having drawn five times and lost 11 matches. 

And, with four rounds of matches left before the season ends on May 30, Msipa says they have to improve, in the remaining games, or face the chop. 

“It is really tough, we are starring relegation so we have to try and win some games in the remaining games. 

“I hope we will survive,” said Msipa. 

Getting relegated would be tough for Msipa, who arrived in the European league on a one-year contract, which is performance-based. 

The 27-year-old, who won the Women’s League Golden Boot, and the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe Player of the Year in 2019, is the only women’s football player plying her trade, outside the country. 

She is an inspirational figure for women footballers in this country. She is also the second Zimbabwean player, to play in the Spanish league, after Mighty Warriors striker Rutendo “Madzimai” Makore. 

Meanwhile, Msipa has backed her old club, Black Rhinos Queens, to do well in the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League.

The army side will represent the country, in the tournament, and are set to get the ball rolling by participating in the southern region bloc tournament, which is being organised by COSAFA, next month. 

The winner will go on to represent the region, at the finals in Morocco, in November. 

“I am happy that my team is going to participate in the inaugural Champions League. 

“I am really happy for the team, and the players, it is a proud moment for everyone. 

“My advice to the players is that they have to take this chance seriously, they have to make history, and it is the time to make history in women’s football, as well as personal history. 

“They should not put themselves under pressure. “There are a lot of expectations but they should just play their normal football and remain focused,” said Msipa. 

The national women’s team skipper believes the continental competition is a perfect chance for the local players to market themselves. 

“It is also a chance for the players to market themselves. The scouts will be there, scouting for new talent, so to the players, I say just keep focused and work hard. 

“Football is our livelihood and this a chance to market ourselves. 

“I wish I was around and would have played in the first Champions League in women’s football, but I believe, my team can do it. 

I will be supporting them and I know Rhinos can make it. “Go Rhinos go, do your best,” she said.