Zambia face champs Zimbabwe in Cosafa final

BY GILBERT WANDERA IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

Lusaka,Zambia: After two weeks of action packed football, the curtain comes down on this year’s Cosafa Cup with hosts Zambia taking on title holder Zimbabwe at the Levi Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.

Organisers could not have wished for a better final than one involving the home team and the champions.

Zambia needed post-match penalties to qualify for the final after they edged out South Africa 5-3 at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on Wednesday night.

This year’s event has only come to life since the hosts started playing from the quarter-finals as previous matches registered poor turn-out, forcing organisers to sometimes allow free entry.

Zambians are expected to turn out in huge numbers.

The Zambian side, playing in today’s final, have shown promise and raised excitement in a football-mad country and winning the 2013 edition is already given among local fans who expect nothing less.

On their way to today’s final, Zambia clobbered neighbours Mozambique 3-1 in the quarters, but needed post-match penalties to make it to the final at the expense of South Africa in a match they won 5-3.

Forward Moses Phiri is one of the most lethal players in the Zambian side expected to guide the side to victory.

With Sh5million at stake for the winners, defending champions Zimbabwe are not expected to let it go easily. The team has one of the tournament’s top strikers in Tendai Ndoro.

Zimbabwe edged out Malawi  in the quarters on post-match penalties 3-2  before locking out Lesotho 2-1 in the semi-finals.

Lesotho take on South Africa in the third and fourth position play-offs also at the Levi Mwanawasa Stadium.