BY ADRIAN MWANZA At Nkoloma –
Zambia 5 Botswana 2
LATE inclusion Christabel Phiri yesterday banged in four goals to help the Zambia women under-17 team crush Botswana in a 2018 Uruguay FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Initially not part of the team but impressed in a friendly match the main Zambia under-17 played against The Rest she was in, Phiri was roped in with less than a week to this game and yesterday proved too much for Botswana.
This was in the preliminary round, first leg match for the 2018 FIFA under-17 World Cup qualifier with Zambia’s other goal coming from Lydia Mubanga.
Despite conceding two away goals, Zambia coach Kangwa Kaluba was left ecstatic and heaped praise on his girls whom he said executed the game-plan well.
Kaluba said the big win was as a result of the girls being hungry for success and looking to emulate the Zambia under-17 class of 2014 which made history by going on to qualify to the World Cup.
“The girls have made me and the nation proud. Apart from the goals, they were a marvel to watch and especially Christabel,” he said.
Botswana head coach Gaebolae Tapaphiwa conceded the first round defeat but that her bench would review the game to overturn the result in the return leg coming in a fortnight.
“It will be a huge mountain to overcome but we are ready to climb it because it is not yet over as football is dynamic,” she said.
Zambia showed their intent as early as the fourth minute with skipper Lydia Mubanga feeding Phiri but Botswana keeper Lorato was quick off her line to avert the danger.
Botswana responded with a goal in the 12th minute through Lone Gaofetoge but the strike was called back for offside.
Realising the danger the Tswanas posed, Zambia opened the scoring in the 20th minute with Phiri this time making full use of Mubanga’s pass to beat Lorato.
Phiri got hers and Zambia’s second in the 27th minute after blasting from long range to send the bench into a frenzy of celebrations.
Zambia made it three in the 32nd minute and this time it was Mubanga who delivered from a solo effort- dribbling passed a cluster of Botswana defenders before clipping the goalie and into the unguarded net for a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.
Zambia started the second-half the same way they left off the first with Mubanga scoring in the 51st minute but the goal was ruled off side.
Phiri was not to be denied her time in the sun as she was again on target in the 52nd minute to register her hattrick before Botswana pulled one back after Gaofetoge struck from the centre line catching the Zambian keeper unawares in the 54thminute.
Referee Mathabo Mahomo awarded Botswana a penalty in the 79th minute after Simakutu Nyambe handled in the box with Abueng Michelle making no mistake to convert.
But Phiri was not done and just when Botswana believed they could get another one back, the Zambian sensation hit to get her brace on her international debut with an 85th minute strike.