Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies claimed a slender 1-0 win over Moroccan side AS FAR at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium to book a spot in the CAF Women’s Champions League final.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies secured a narrow 1-0 victory against AS FAR from Morocco at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, earning them a coveted spot in the final of the CAF Women’s Champions League.
The journey to the finals for Sundowns Ladies involved a trip to Morocco to face AS FAR in the thrilling semi-final clash of the CAF Women’s Champions League.
This encounter held added significance for the Pretoria-based team, given their previous disappointing 4-0 loss to the same opponents in the 2022 CAF Women’s League final.
From the opening minutes of the match, the Brazilians demonstrated an aggressive approach in their quest for an early goal. However, the defending champions exhibited resilience in their defensive efforts.
💫 ℂ𝔸𝔽𝕎ℂ𝕃 𝔽𝕀ℕ𝔸𝕃 💫
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) November 15, 2023
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are through to the #CAFWCL Final following their 1⃣➖0⃣ victory against ASFAR! #SABCSportFootball pic.twitter.com/KkmlHe6AhG
The second half kicked off without alterations from either side. Just two minutes into this period, AS FAR had an opportunity to score when El Haj spotted a teammate in a promising position inside the box.
Nevertheless, Banyana-Banyana international Dlamini managed to intercept the ball. Three minutes later, Rabale set up Tholakele, who executed a brilliant turn but unfortunately missed the target with her shot.
Around the sixty-minute mark, the duo of Rabale and Tholakele combined on the left, with the Botswana international attempting a shot from a challenging angle. However, Khadija Er-rmichi, the Moroccan goalkeeper, made an easy save.
In the 70th minute, Tholakele tested Er-rmichi again from a distance, forcing the goalkeeper to come out and clear the ball, resulting in a corner kick for Sundowns.
Tholakele took the corner, and Rabale broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, scoring the decisive goal with her left foot. This crucial goal ultimately secured Sundowns Ladies’ passage to the CAF Women’s Champions League final.
Sundowns will play the winner of the match between Ampem Darkoa and Sporting Casablanca in Sunday’s final.
