Blantyre Zero win back Donna’s Eggs Trophy

High-flying Blantyre Zero women football team on Saturday maintained their dominance on Southern Region women football scene when they defeated Envirom 4-0 in an exciting Blantyre derby   played at Chiwembe Technical football ground.

Played before a fairly good turn up of spectators that included Malawi National Football Team Technical Director Jack Chamangwana and Football Association of Malawi (FAM) sole female executive member Flora Mwandira, Blantyre Zero proved too good to be stopped in their quest to defend the K500 000 Donna's Eggs Trophy.

Led by veteran woman footballer Maggie Chombo-Sadiki, the Zero girls opened their score sheet through Mphatso Chiwaula to rest the first half at 1-0.

Come the second half, the reigning champions came in with new ideas as they added three more goals which came from their match maker Sungeni Msiska who saw the back of the net twice, including a penalty, while Ruth Tambala scored the other.

Blantyre Zero: Defend the cup

Envirom came close to scoring several times through sisters who are also national netball team players, Towera and Lucy Vinkhumbo but their efforts were thwarted by the Zero defense shepherded by women football national team defender Thandi  Kasiya.

However, Towera's relief came in when she scooped the golden boot award and went away with K5000 cash.

Blantyre Zero's Sungeni Msiska was named player of the tournament and also went away with the same amount. Msiska had been a marvel to watch during the entire tourney with her zigzagging dribbles that baffled many spectators.

Other awardees included The Nation newspaper sports correspondent Solomon Manda (Best Print reporter) and Star FM Radio's Chigwenembe (Best electronic reporter), they also received K5000 each.

For winning the trophy, Blantyre Zero who were also inaugural winners last year, went away with K120 000. Second placed Envirom received K85, 000 followed by Zomba City Queens, K55 000 and Bangwe Super Queens who got K25 000 for finishing fourth in the tournament.

Apart from the cash prize, sponsors of the tourney also gave each player trays of eggs.

Last year, Blantyre Zero beat Zomba City Queens 2-0 to lift the trophy and a cash prize of K100 000.

Blantyre Zero Coach Mphatso 'Mourihno' Kumwenda attributed his girls' victory to "team work and playing according to instructions."

He said: "I am very proud of my players because they played exactly according to what I advised them."

Speaking during the prize presentation, a representative of Donna's Eggs pledged his company's continued sponsorship to women football saying women were their major customers and their sponsorship was one way of thanking them.

Guest of Honour, Flora Mwandira, thanked Donna's Eggs for sponsoring women football when many companies and organisations are shunning away.

She observed that women football in the country just like other countries was improving at a steady pace and called upon other companies to emulate Donna's Eggs example.

"Our team recently went to Zimbabwe for COSAFA tournament and most people ruled us out but our performance was not a shame and we managed to reach the semifinals, that only shows that women football is becoming of age in the country," she said.

Nyasa Times 11 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/sports/blantyre-zero-win-back-donna%e2%80%99s-eggs-trophy/
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