Shepolopolo’s dreams of qualifying to the 2012 African Womens Championship in Equatorial Guinea this November are looking bleak.
This is after Banyana Banyana beat them 4-1 at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka in a second round, first leg match this afternoon.
Shepolopolo looked like they were in control of the game the entire first half that ended scoreless as Banyana seemed to be heading for a rare draw against Zambia.
The hosts however, suffered two strange setbacks in the game when they lost both their first and second choice goalkeepers through injury.
Coach Enala Simbeya watched in disbelief as Mirriam Katamanda and Nelly Lumwanya were stretchered off in the 22 and 27nd minutes respectively.
Katamanda felt the pressure after clashing with Noko Matlou when they collided while Lumwanya conceded a soft Nothando Vilakazi free-kick that she turned into her own net from the near post that she seemingly hit but replays suggested otherwise.
With substitutes now exhausted, midfielder Chisala Musonda swapped her role for gloves and retreated to goals.
Meanwhile, Sanah Mollo put Banyana ahead in the 48th minute with a header from a Zamandosi Cele throw-in.
The outstanding Kabange Mupopo equalized for Shepolopolo in the 58th minute after skipping her markers and rounding goalkeeper Roxanne Barker.
Shepolopolo’s celebrations were short-lived as Vilakazi put Banyana back in the lead in the 64th minute with a simple shot past the feet on Lumwanya.
Vilakazi completed her brace in the 72nd minute via a free kick before Mollo also joined her on two goals in the 80th minute to beat Musonda.
The two sides meet on June 16 in the return leg to decide who heads to Malabo for the African Womens Championship to be held from October 28 to November 11.
Ba Shepolopolo tapali uko baleya. Balebuta fye. One wonders how wide team selection is conducted. They were a terrible disgrace. No proper passes, no ball control, poor defending, poor midfield etc. They are pathetic. Find them a male coach, that beautiful Nambeya coach has failed.
Those goalies sold the match!
Two Goalies, I smell a Rat.How to have two Goalies injured?
Fyaku bantu
In engineering there is what we call male and female sprines because they are coupled together in assembling parts,just as man and woman do.So when it comes to describe our female football team,call them’Chipolopolo Girls’ ‘Chipolopolo Boys’period.There is no male bullet and female bullet. That’s why they always fail to win.
Chile .. you mean splines? not sprines [engineering student]
They were injured in first half which ended goalless .. 3min into 2nd half goals started raining. Meaning the Banyana Banyana coach give her/his team good tips.. While Enala thought the scoreline would remain the same.. Defensive could have worked since her best and second best goalies were out.. Hard to overturn this result :(
Chile I agree with you. This shepolopolo sounds awful.
Just like the horrible name “Chipolopolo” for the Zambia National Soccer Team, “Shepolopolo” for our female folks iz even more cantankerous to say the least and should both be done away with! The prime objective of a bullet (if that iz the literal translation of the absurd “Chipolopolo”) iz to KILL or INJURE and I dont think that iz what football iz all about. Lionz, elephants, buffaloez, and the like only kill in defence, survival, or often in search for food.
This is embarrassing indeed, let us try a MALE coach instead then th lady can be assistant or else we will stop watching them.
Wasting public resources to to buy disgraceful results!!!!