The Brave Gladiators’ fairytale run at the ongoing 2022 Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) Senior Women’s Championship came to an abrupt end when they lost 1-0 to hosts South Africa in the semi-finals on Friday.

The tournament, which is currently underway in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, saw the Gladiators reach the semi-finals for the first time in five years after losing to Zambia and defeating Lesotho and Swaziland in the group stages to qualify as the best-placed runners-up at the 12-team tournament.

South Africa scored the only goal of the match after a moment of brilliance from Lithemba Sam-Sam in the 82nd minute of the tightly contested encounter, which either side could have won.

Namibia had matched the South Africans pound for pound, even though the hosts had fielded a different side from the one that won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

Captain and star player Zenatha Coleman thrice came close to opening the scoring for Namibia but found the hosts’ defense unwavering.

Both teams created several chances in both halves, but it was Sam-Sam who proved to be the match winner with her strike.

South Africa will now meet Zambia in the final on Sunday, after the latter dispatched the defending champions 2-1 in an earlier semi-final.

Namibia and Tanzania will now battle for third and fourth place on the same day.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency