South Africa Edge Malawi, Angola and Mozambique Draw

Hosts and holders South Africa claimed a 2-1 victory over Malawi, while Mozambique and Angola played to a 2-2 draw in the opening Group A matches at the 2021 COSAFA Women's Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay on Tuesday.

The Southern African regional championship is in its ninth edition, with South Africa hoping for an eighth title, and they made a solid start, even if it was not quite as polished a performance as they might have liked.

It took Banyana Banyana just three minutes to open the scoring when goalkeeper Kayin Swart's long ball up the pitch was latched onto by Melinda Kgadiete, and she lobbed the on-rushing Mercy Sikelo in the Malawi goal.

It was the perfect start for the home side, but Malawi began to have the better chances and forced an excellent low save from Swart as they went in search of an equaliser.

But another error at the back from the SheFlames allowed Noxolo Cesane a clear sight of goal and her shot was too powerful for Sikelo as the hosts led 2-0 at halftime. Malawi never stopped trying to find a way back into the game and were rewarded just before fulltime as Wezzie Mvula scored what proved a consolation.

Angola and Mozambique played to an entertaining 2-2 draw in the opening match of Group A in a battle between the Lusophone nations.

It is a result that favours neither side, but was a solid enough start to their campaign and a platform from which to build.

Albertina Pondja opened the scoring for Mozambique as she beat the offside trap and coolly finished midway through the first half. But Angola drew level just before the break as playmaker Zeferina Caupe found acres of space on the right-hand side of the defence and also provided a neat finish.

Mozambique thought they had collected all three points when Cidalia Cuta had them in front again with 12 minutes to go, but that joy was short-lived as Yara Lima equalised for a second time for the Angolans.

Group B will get under way on Wednesday as last year's beaten finalists Botswana take on East African guest nation South Sudan (kick-off 12h00).

The Sudanese are coached by former Banyana analyst Shilene Booysen, with the South African hoping the develop the national team's game quickly after they only played their first international in 2019.

The second game in the pool will see another guest team in action as Tanzania take on Zimbabwe (kick-off 15h30), who were champions of this competition on home soil in 2011.

With only the top team in each pool and the best placed runner-up going through to the semifinals, the margin for error for all the sides is very small.

The teams are also building towards the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that begin next month.

This article originally appeared on Council of Southern African Football Associations

Photo: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium