LUSAKA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The head of Zambia's soccer governing body praised the country's women's teams for winning medals at the recent Cosafa Women's Championships in South Africa.

The senior side lost 1-0 to the host nation in the final, while the Under-20 team was defeated 2-1 in their final against Tanzania.

Andrew Kamanga, president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), said the senior team reached a milestone by reaching the final of the Cosafa Cup for the first time, while the Under-20 reached their final at the inaugural tournament for that age group.

"As an executive, we are very proud of the achievement of our girls. The U-20s made it to the final at their first attempt. Our senior women have been making strides in the last few years and now look ready to progress to the next stage," he said.

Kamanga added that efforts made by the women's teams have been noted overseas, with some players having been signed by European clubs, and he expressed optimism that more would follow in their footsteps.

The governing body, he said, would direct more effort towards finding sponsorship for women's football.