‘A tough game’: Sundowns Ladies edge Simba to reach Champions League final

10 November 2022 - 10:37 By Marc Strydom
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Zanele Nhlapo and coach Jerry Tshabalala celebrate victory in the 2022 Caf Women's Champions League semifinal against Tanzania's Simba Queens at Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on November 9 2022
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Zanele Nhlapo and coach Jerry Tshabalala celebrate victory in the 2022 Caf Women's Champions League semifinal against Tanzania's Simba Queens at Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on November 9 2022
Image: Weam Mostafa/BackpagePix

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies coach Jerry Tshabalala felt his team were jaded by travel but was happy they did enough to edge Tanzania’s Simba Queens 1-0 on Wednesday night to reach the Caf Women’s Champions League final.

Boitumelo Rabale scored with a stylishly-struck left-footed drive from outside the box in the 76th-minute winner to earn the victory for Sundowns’ women’s team in the earlier semifinal at Stade Moulay Hassan in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday night.

Defending champions Sundowns meet Moroccan host club AS FAR, who beat Nigerian club Bayelsa Queens in the later semifinal, in the final at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday.

Sundowns Ladies travelled from Marrakesh to Rabat on Monday, the day after beating TP Mazembe 4-0 to make it three wins from three in Group B.

“What a tough game. Tactically, I thought Simba got it right in the first half and until the 70th minute,” Tshabalala said after his team’s win against Group A runners-up Simba.

“When you see a very clever coach like the Simba coach [Charles Lukula], and they have got Fathi Issa who normally plays as a central midfielder but was converted to a right wingback to close the speedy winger on our [left] side, it tells you they have a very good coach.

“But my girls played well. As much as we played in patches, sometimes there were times I felt the more we kept the ball the better for us.

“We had a bad first half. In the second we came back guns blazing.

“There were factors that might have affected my girls. We travelled four hours, after playing at 8pm in Marrakesh, to Rabat — you don’t rest enough.

“Simba played at 5pm — they had enough time to travel and rest. But you could tell immediately when my players started to gel, that was when you saw the best of Mamelodi Sundowns.”

Speaking before the second semifinal, Tshabalala said he would prefer to meet FAR in the semifinals. The Moroccan outfit then beat Bayelsa Queens, who Downs edged 2-1 in the group stage, 1-0 to grant the Brazilians’ coach his wish.

 “I will be happy if I could play AS FAR in the final,” Tshabalala had said.

“I’ve got my reasons. We beat Bayelsa Queens in the group stage so it would be nice to be champions beating all the teams in the tournament, except the two in the other group. But anyone who comes we will be ready for them.”

Sundowns beat Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 in the final of the inaugural Women’s Champions League in Cairo in November 2021.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.