Mamelodi Sundowns winners of the 2021 Total Energies CAF Womens Champions League COSAFA Qualifier final match between Black Rhinos Queens and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies at Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium, Durban, on Saturday, (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
It seemed to be a tough task in the last two games, but Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have accomplished the mission of qualifying for the Caf Women’s Champions League to be staged in Egypt this year.
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Sundowns ladies qualified after beating Black Rhinos Queens of Zimbabwe 3-0 in the Cosafa Caf qualifiers at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday.
The ladies from Pretoria enjoyed rather an easy passage in the group stages, where they won the opening two games by 6-0 beating Double Action and Lesotho Defence Force, before wrapping it up with a 6-1 victory over Manzini Wanderers.
The team was then tested in the semi-finals, where they earned a hard fought 1-0 victory leading to the last game of the tournament.In the final, it took only 12 minutes for the home side to get the lead, taking advantage of a mistake by Rhinos at the back, only for Lerato Kgasago to punish them.
Rhinos looked to be struggling in attack, but they did try to make something out of nothing with a snapshot from Marjory Nyaumwe in the 23rd minute, but it didn’t trouble the Downs keeper Phillistus Rabalao.
Sundowns could have scored more, but they were let down by offsides and decision making in the final third, leaving Downs to go into the break with a 1-0 lead
As the match resumed, the Pretoria were once again putting pressure on their opponents. They were unlucky not have scored just after the 50th minute, with Melinda Kgadiete’s long range shot just going over the bar, while Andisiwe Mgcoyi’s went wide.
As the game progressed, Rhino’s started to gain some momentum in their search for a goal.Rutendo Madotsa became a menace for the Downs defenders with her strength, but she wasn’t able to create some magic for the visitors.
Meanwhile, a mistake at the back saw the home side extend their lead, after Rhino’s keeper Precious Mudyiwa’s failed clearance saw the ball fall into Nonhlanhla Mthandi, who slotted the ball into an empty net to make it 2-0, leaving Rhino’s with no chance to come back.
Boitumelo Rabale sealed the win for the South Africans with a cracker of a shot in the last minutes of the match.
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