Reviewed by Aaron Mubanga JnrZambia sports betting writer
Published 1 September 2026
ZESCO Ndola Girls lost the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifier final to Mamelodi Sundowns by two goals to one on Saturday, and finished as runners up for the second year running.
Refilwe Tholakele scored both of the South African champions’ goals, one of them from a penalty. Charity Mubanga replied for the Zambian side in the first half, and Sundowns held the lead from there.
Two finals, two defeats
ZESCO have now reached the qualifier final in consecutive years and lost both. The 2025 final went to a shootout against Gaborone United, so this is the second time the club has come within one result of a first continental group stage and not taken it.
Head coach Florence Mwila said afterwards that the team would be back for the title. Sundowns take the region’s place at the CAF Women’s Champions League finals later this year, and ZESCO go back to a domestic calendar that has been pulled apart by the switch of seasons.
The margin is worth reading properly. ZESCO scored in the final and were beaten by a Tholakele double, one of the two a penalty, which is a different kind of defeat from the shootout that beat them a year ago. On the two showings the gap between the Zambian champions and the South African champions is thin rather than structural.
A quiet month for Zambian football, and why
There is no league football in Zambia in September. The Football Association of Zambia is moving the domestic season to a March to November calendar, and the one off Transitional League that bridges the change does not start until October. The Charity Shield on 19 September and the AFCON qualifiers are what fill the gap, so a women’s continental qualifier carries more weight this month than it would in most others.
Where to bet: continental women’s club football is priced thinly in Zambia, so on a COSAFA qualifier expect match result and over and under rather than the deeper menus you get on the Super League or the European leagues. Betway and Premierbet, both licensed by the Gaming Regulatory Board, carry the markets in kwacha, with deposits through MTN, Airtel and Zamtel money. With no domestic league until October, the Zambian coupon in September is national team and continental football, which is priced off squad news rather than form. Our guide to the best betting sites in Zambia covers licensing and withdrawal times, and there is more in Zambia soccer news. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
