The Cowgirls produced an impressive performance, cruising to a convincing 3-0 victory over their opponents, with Eneless Fabiano stealing the show after scoring a superb hat-trick at Mpira Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the opening fixture of the Southern Region FAM Women’s League.
Bangwe All Stars made life difficult for the Cowgirls during the opening half-hour, showing defensive discipline and organisation to frustrate Ekhaya’s attempts to find an early breakthrough. However, as the contest progressed, Ekhaya gradually grew into the game, taking greater control of possession, dictating the tempo and putting the visitors under increasing pressure in search of the opening goal.
Despite the early exchanges producing a closely contested encounter, the Cowgirls’ growing dominance eventually paid off in the 33rd minute when Fabiano broke the deadlock to give Ekhaya the breakthrough their increasing pressure had threatened.
The forward showed composure in front of goal to finish off a well-worked attacking move created by Stella Chinkusa, whose excellent assist provided the perfect platform for the opener. The combination between the two players rewarded Ekhaya’s persistence and gave the Cowgirls a deserved advantage after a period of sustained pressure.
The goal also shifted the momentum further in Ekhaya’s favour, allowing the hosts to play with greater confidence as they looked to build on their advantage. For Bangwe All Stars, the challenge became finding a response while maintaining the defensive organisation that had made life difficult for the Cowgirls during the opening exchanges.
Fabiano’s breakthrough gave Ekhaya the reward for their patience, while Chinkusa’s contribution underlined the importance of creativity and teamwork in unlocking a stubborn opposition defence.
The goal rewarded the Cowgirls’ persistence and sent them into the half-time break with a deserved 1-0 advantage following a strong first-half display.
The Cowgirls returned for the second half with two changes, as Sina John replaced Tema Issa, while Eunice Moses came on for Agnes Jonathan as Ekhaya looked to maintain their advantage and add fresh energy to their attacking play.
The substitutions did little to disrupt the hosts’ rhythm. Instead, Ekhaya resumed where they had left off, maintaining their attacking intent and putting Bangwe All Stars under immediate pressure.
Fabiano needed little time to make another decisive contribution. Shortly after the restart, the forward doubled Ekhaya’s advantage with a superbly executed free kick from outside the 18-yard area. Having won the set-piece after going down under a challenge, she stepped up and produced an excellent finish to leave the visitors with a much bigger task.
The second goal further strengthened Ekhaya’s grip on the contest, giving the Cowgirls greater confidence as they continued to dictate proceedings. Bangwe All Stars struggled to contain the hosts’ attacking momentum, while Ekhaya remained composed in possession and continued to look for opportunities to extend their lead.
With a two-goal cushion, the Cowgirls demonstrated good game management, balancing their attacking ambition with the need to remain organised defensively. They continued to move the ball with purpose, exploit spaces and ask questions of the visitors’ backline.
As the match entered its closing stages, Fabiano delivered the defining moment of her afternoon. The forward completed her hat-trick in the 77th minute, finishing off a well-created opportunity following an assist from second-half substitute Eunice Moses.
It was a fitting reward for Fabiano’s impressive individual display, having found the net three times to put herself at the centre of Ekhaya’s attacking success. Moses also made an immediate impact after coming off the bench, contributing the assist that helped bring the afternoon’s scoring to a memorable conclusion.
The third goal underlined Ekhaya’s superiority on the day and reflected the effectiveness of their attacking play, with the Cowgirls turning their second-half dominance into another reward on the scoresheet.
The Cowgirls celebrate scoring the third goal to seal win.It was a fitting conclusion to an impressive individual performance, with Fabiano’s three goals proving decisive in a commanding team display. Her clinical finishing and ability to deliver at key moments gave Ekhaya the cutting edge, turning the Cowgirls’ attacking pressure into a convincing result.
Ekhaya made another change in the closing stages, with Patuma Nzokomera replacing Kettie Munthali as the technical team looked to manage the final minutes and preserve the team’s advantage.
The Cowgirls remained composed as the contest approached its conclusion, maintaining their organisation and ensuring that Bangwe All Stars found little opportunity to threaten their comfortable lead. Having established control through their attacking quality, Ekhaya also demonstrated the discipline required to see out the result without conceding.
The final whistle confirmed a deserved 3-0 victory for Ekhaya FC Women, providing an encouraging start to their campaign. While Fabiano’s hat-trick naturally took centre stage, the result was also a reflection of the team’s collective effort, from their patience in breaking down a stubborn opposition to their composure in managing the game after establishing a commanding advantage.
For the Cowgirls, the opening-day victory offers more than just three points. It provides an early confidence boost, rewards the work invested during preparations and gives the team a positive platform from which to approach the challenges ahead.
There will be plenty to take from the performance, particularly the team’s attacking efficiency, ability to grow into the contest and contribution from players introduced off the bench. Maintaining those standards will be important as the campaign gathers momentum.
NEXT UP
Attention now turns to the Cowgirls’ next assignment, with Ekhaya set to travel to Mulanje Park to face FOMO FC. The trip presents another test of their early-season ambitions, as they look to carry the confidence from their victory over Bangwe All Stars into their next outing.
With three points already secured, Ekhaya will be keen to build on this positive start, maintain their momentum and continue their pursuit of consistency.
The message is clear: the opening victory is an encouraging beginning, but the work continues. The Cowgirls will now turn their focus to Mulanje, determined to carry their winning mentality into the next challenge.
