By Tapiwa Chawagarira
The Battle of the Zambezi takes to the handball court today as Zimbabwe face hosts Zambia in a high-stakes semi-final of the 2026 IHF Nations Trophy Africa Zone VI Senior Women’s Tournament in Lusaka.
The regional neighbours will lock horns at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC), with a place in Saturday’s final at stake.
The encounter brings together two teams that have taken contrasting routes to the last four, but both will enter the contest with confidence after strong group-stage campaigns.
Zimbabwe booked its semi-final berth after finishing second in Group B. The team opened its campaign with a commanding 63-7 victory over Lesotho before suffering a 27-37 defeat to Mozambique.
The Zimbabweans responded strongly in their final group match, beating Malawi 32-24 to secure a place in the knockout phase.
The defeat to Mozambique remains the only blemish on Zimbabwe’s campaign, and coach Tawanda Mapira’s players will now have to produce another disciplined performance against a Zambian side that has enjoyed an unbeaten run.
Zambia completed its Group A campaign with three victories, the latest coming in emphatic fashion when it thrashed Namibia 40-10 on Thursday.
The hosts led 18-8 at half-time before pulling further away after the break, completing their third consecutive group-stage victory. Jane Mwanza was named Player of the Match for her contribution to Zambia’s impressive performance.
The Zambians had earlier established themselves as one of the teams to watch in the competition, which is being held in Lusaka from September 15 to 19. The eight participating nations are divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
For Zimbabwe, the semi-final represents an opportunity to build on the progress made during preparations for the tournament.
Mapira said before the competition that the team had made significant progress during its training camps, particularly in organizing its attacking and defensive systems.
Zimbabwe will also have to guard against the defensive and attacking efficiency displayed by Zambia against Namibia. The hosts scored 40 goals in that encounter while conceding only ten.
The tournament is particularly significant as it is the inaugural senior women’s edition of the IHF Nations Trophy in Africa. The new competition provides national teams with an additional international platform, while the eventual Zone VI winner will earn a place at the 2026 CAHB African Women’s Handball Championship in Tunisia.
This added prize raises the stakes for both neighbours as they seek to move within one victory of the regional title.
Zimbabwe’s route to the semi-finals has already demonstrated its attacking capability, with the 63-goal haul against Lesotho underlining its scoring potential. The team’s 32-goal effort against Malawi also showed its ability to recover after the setback against Mozambique.
However, Zambia’s home advantage and unbeaten record add another dimension to what promises to be a closely watched regional contest.
The Battle of the Zambezi therefore takes on a new meaning on the handball court, with the two neighbours now fighting not only for regional bragging rights but also for a place in the inaugural senior women’s IHF Nations Trophy final.
The other semi-final will feature Mozambique and the team finishing second in Group A, while the Zone VI tournament concludes on Saturday.
For Zimbabwe, the objective is clear — to turn its strong group-stage recovery into a place in the final.
