By Zim Sport Live Writer
Rising star Ethel Chinyerere inspired the Mighty Warriors to a strong start in the Three Nations Women’s Tournament, scoring twice to secure a 2–1 win over hosts Malawi at Bingo National Stadium in Lilongwe.
Zimbabwe started brightly, with Chinyerere giving the visitors a dream lead in the 10th minute. The in-form forward struck again just before halftime, producing a composed finish in the 40th minute to double the advantage.
Malawi responded almost immediately, pulling a goal back two minutes later, but the Mighty Warriors held their defensive shape to protect their lead and claim a confidence-boosting victory in their opening match of the tournament.
Goalkeeper Cynthia Shonga delivered a solid performance between the posts, contributing to Zimbabwe’s resilient display.
The win marks an encouraging return to competitive action for the Mighty Warriors, who had last played in February when they lost to Angola in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Zimbabwe coach Sithethelewe Sibanda praised the players for a spirited performance.
“It was a good game but very tough for us after nine months of inactivity. We knew that Malawi having played a game recently, there cohesion was going to be much better than us. But we had a good tactical defensive shape to contain them,” said Sibanda.
Zimbabwe will face Zambia on December 2 in their final match of the competition, where the team with the highest points will be crowned champions.