Copperbelt survive scare to reach Championship semi-finals

Hosts Copperbelt Ladies bounced back from being a goal down to win their match 3-1 against Dangerous Heroes and reached the Sasol League National Championship semi-finals at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Thursday.

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This was the second time the Limpopo-based outfit had to chase the game, with the home team having went the same route against TS Galaxy Ladies in their 3-2 victory in their opening game of the tournament.

Against Heroes, Copperbelt’s midfielder Nomphelo Yakuphi was the star of the show in the tie, as she bagged a hat-trick that ensured her team goes through to the knockout stages.

All Yakuphi’s goals came in the second half courtesy of two penalties and clinical finish in the dying moments of the match.

The team from Limpopo won two penalties due to fouls inside the box by Heroes’ sloppy defending, with Yakuphi taking the responsibility to score them, which she did perfectly.

The win was more than enough for Copperbelt to make the semi-finals after finishing on top of Group B with six points, while Lindelani Ladies ended the group phase with four points and on the summit of Group C due to a better goal-difference to that of North West University Tawana Ladies, but Tawana made the last four of the tournament as the best runners-up having collected four points.

In the semi-finals, Copperbelt will battle it out wit Tawana, while Tuks will take on Lindelani Ladies in the quest for promotion to the Hollywoodbets League on Friday at the same venue.

The two teams that reach the final of the tournament are automatically promoted to the Super League.