OVER THE MOON

…as Chibwe toasts Aguila’s perfect start to CAF Integrated Girls tourney

By BENEDICT TEMBO

NATIONAL Division One Aguila Stars president Chembe Chibwe has expressed delight with his team’s perfect start to their CAF Under-17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) Zimbabwe 2025 campaign in Harare.
Aguila recorded an emphatic 5-0 victory over Okakarara Golden Ladies from Namibia in Group ‘B’ action at Harare’s Ngoni Stadium on Tuesday.
Luyando Banda grabbed a brace, with Beauty Namukonda, Beatrice Chipumpula and Serah Musonda adding goals to seal a convincing victory.

“Overall, I am happy to see the progress the girls are making in being disciplined, learning and growing in our playing philosophy,” Chibwe said.
He said the exposure the girls were getting at the African tournament was important as it consolidates on the progress being made in growing Aguila to be a formidable team in the SADC region and beyond.
“We trust the process and so we will continue to grow organically,” Chibwe said.
Although the girls’ team has no player in any of the women’s national teams, the Aguila president believes with the performance in Zimbabwe, it is a matter of time.
“Certainly, I feel with time we will start to see a number of them challenging for places in the national setup and deservedly so,” Chibwe said.

About where Aguila draws its players from, he said the team had established a robust scout network to serve as a pipeline for supply of talent.
“We are developing a strong scouting network with various neighbourhoods around Lusaka, both in our densely populated communities and a few places outside Lusaka. An example is one of the goal scorers Beatrice Chipumpula from Itezhi Tezhi,” Chibwe said.

The team’s coach Essien Mubanga is a mentee of Green Buffaloes Women’s Football Club coach Charles Haalubono.
“He has been with us from the earlier part of the year,” he said of Mubanga.
Following their victory over the Namibian side, Aguila are now leading group ‘B’ followed by Lishoeshoe of Lesotho who were also dominant in the opening fixture claiming a 6-2 win over Refilwe of South Africa.
Aguila return to action today against Lishoeshoe after a two-day rest. They wrap up the group stage against Refilwe on Monday.
Ends.