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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
COSAFA general secretary Sue Destombes says they will be lenient on clubs for the first edition of the Total Energies Caf Women’s Champions League Cosafa Qualifier, to run from August 26 to September 4.

It is the first time Cosafa is staging a club competition, with the victor set to qualify for the continental inter-club showpiece to be staged later in the year.

Cosafa has raised the bar by introducing club licensing for women’s football, meaning teams have to meet a minimum standard to take part in its competitions.

“Being the first time for women’s club competition, the regulations have been lowered because we have to give ladies’ stand-alone teams time to get themselves there,” said Destombes.

She said the regulations had been approved by the Caf to raise the standard of the women’s game.

“Every club should have access to its own stadium, not necessarily to own it, but have access for training and matches. This year, Caf has been very lenient with the coaching licences to give an opportunity to the clubs to catch up, so the head coach this year must have a Caf A, B or C licence. By next year that will change.

“The assistant coaches this year have no requirements, but that will also change next year. So, it is forcing clubs, which have ladies’ sections to get their house in order across the sporting, technical and administrative criteria. It is good, it protects the stature of the competition.”

The top two sides from the two Cosafa groups will advance to the semi-finals to decide the two finalists that will meet for the sole ticket to the Caf women’s finals in Egypt.

Black Rhinos Queens will represent Zimbabwe in the competition and they have been drawn in Group B with Zambia’s Green Buffaloes, who are seeded, and Tura Magic from Namibia. — @innocentskizoe