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Goshen tourney finals next week

Goshen tourney finals next week

The 2024 edition of Goshen-Football Association of Malawi (Fam) National Women’s Championship will take place from March 14 to 22 at Mpira Stadium in Blantyre.

Fam announced on Tuesday that eight teams would battle for the ultimate prize.

The national finals will start with a play-off involving three teams, namely Mighty Wanderers Queens, Silver Strikers Ladies and Topik Sisters.

Two top teams from the play-offs will join six teams, namely defending champions Ascent Academy, FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women, Civil Service United Women, Moyale Sisters, Ntopwa FC and MK Academy, having already qualified for the national finals.

The quarterfinal matches will be played from March 17 to 18 whereas semifinal matches will take place on March 20.

The third-place battle and final will be played on March 22.

Ascent Coach Thom Mkolongo said his charges were ready to defend the title.

“We know the teams will come hard on us but we are prepared for what will probably be a tough tournament,” Mkolongo said.

On his part, Ntopwa owner Isaac Jomo Osman said his troops would come back stronger this year after a disappointing campaign last year.

“It is payback time. We were embarrassed last year in Lilongwe but that is water under the bridge. We will give them a good run for their money,” Jomo said.

The champions will pocket K9 million, up from K8 million last year, whereas the runners-up will get K5 million, from K4 million last year.

The third and fourth-placed team will walk away with K3 million and K2 million, respectively.

In addition, each of the eight teams will get a subvention of K1.5 million.

The semi-finalists will each pocket K1.5 million.

Three teams participating in the play-offs will each get K800,000.

National champions are expected to represent Malawi at this year’s Caf Women’s Champions League/Cosafa qualifier later this year.