FAZILI OPTIMISTIC OF DEFENDING COSAFA CUP

Scorchers head coach, Lovemore Fazili, says his team is far much better than last year's Championship winning team despite the absence of professional players saying he has more quality in all departments in the team.

He said this on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the team's opening match of the Group B of the COSAFA Women's Championship 2024 edition in South Africa against Botswana.

He said he expects tough matches in the group where Madagascar and Mauritius are other opponents as all teams are equally good.

He said, "We expect tough matches as Botswana is a good team, they went to the World Cup so they are capable of causing harm and Madagascar and Mauritius are improving everyday so we are not underrating any team."

He further downplayed the fears that the team can struggle without the presence of professional players such as Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, Rose Kabzere, Chimwemwe Madise, Ireen Khumalo and Chioma Okafor saying he has quality pl

players who also deserved to play outside Malawi.

"We have a good team, the unavailability of those players gives us a chance for plan B so the two professionals we have in the squad is our plan B and also we have talented players in the team who deserved also to be professionals and maybe this team is more better than last year's team." Added Fazili.

After winning last year's trophy, Fazili said the team has gone in the rainbow nation to defend it despite many Malawians not giving them chances.

Sabina Thom, Vanessa Chikupira and Mary Chavinda were the only professional players which were included in the team and after facing Botswana, they will face Madagascar and Mauritius in other group B matches.