By SANDRA MWILA and GRACE CHAILE  At Nkoloma Stadium –

Zambia 0 South Africa 4
THE Shepolopolo yesterday started their preparations for the 9th African Women’s Championship (AWC) billed for Windhoek, Namibia from October 11 to 25, with a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Banyana Banyana of South Africa in an international friendly.
This encounter played Lusaka’s Nkoloma Stadium was being used as part of preparations for both teams ahead of the AWC.
South Africa’s women football luminary Portia Modise scored a hat trick as a merciless Banyana Banyana side ripped their Zambian counterparts apart to start shaping up for the Namibia championship on a high.
The visitors took the lead on 24 minutes courtesy of Shiwe Nongwanya, who finished off a counter attack to go into the break with a goal advantage.
Zambia started the game on high note, creating opportunities in the midfield but the alert Banyana Banyana backline was well organised to deal with any threats.
Kabange Mupopo came close to scoring in the 11th minute when she created some space in the Banyana box but the execution was poor as she let off a shot that clipped the top of the cross bar.
Coach Charles Bwale introduced Mary Mwakapila to add pace to slow midfield but the change did not yield any positive results as South Africa ran rampage to score three times with Modise thriving on defensive lapses in the Shepolopolo backline.
Modise, a World Cup legend got her first goal after benefitting from a Nongwanya low cross on the right flank in the 57th minute to double the lead before she added another 13 minutes later when she finished off Sindile Ngubana’s cross.
With the damage already caused, Modise struck late in stoppage time to complete a hat trick.