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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE will host the fifth edition of the Cosafa Women’s Championship in August.

The tournament was last held in the country in 2011 when The Mighty Warriors beat South Africa 1-0 at Rufaro Stadium to lift the title. Tanzania settled for third place after beating Malawi 3-1.

Recently elected Cosafa president Philip Chiyangwa confirmed that Zimbabwe would host the tournament.

Fourteen countries are set to take part in the championship that will be staged in Harare and Bulawayo, depending on the number of teams.

Fewer teams mean only one city will enjoy the spectacle and the Zimbabwe Women’s Football leadership of Rosemary Kanonge and her deputy Samukeliso Silengane are reportedly eager to have Bulawayo hosting the tournament. The 2011 tournament was hosted by Harare.

The Cosafa Women Championship was inaugurated in 2002 with Zimbabwe as hosts. They lost 1-2 in the final to South Africa who went on to win the second and third editions of the tournament.

The South Africans beat Namibia 3-1 in the final hosted by Zambia in 2006 and in 2008 they beat hosts Angola by the same score line before surrendering their trophy to Zimbabwe in 2011.

Mighty Warriors’ striker Rufaro Machingura emerged as the tournament’s top goal scorer with eight goals in 2011.