Former champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are eager to complete the group stages of the CAF Women’s Champions League Cote d’Ivoire 2023 with an unblemished record and top Group A when they take on hosts Athlético FC d’Abidjan in the third match of the tournament.
The two face off on Saturday, 11 November at Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly in Korhogo, with a 22h00 kick-off (South African time).
This will be the first ever meeting between the Brazilians and Athlético Football Club Abidjan.
The South Africans are the only side in the competition with a perfect record following two victories: 2-0 vs JKT Queens (Tanzania) and 1-0 (SC Casablanca), and yet to concede.
In each of their three appearances in the CAF Champions League finals (2021, 2022, 2023) Mamelodi Sundowns have managed to win their first two group stage matches.
“I am very happy and proud of the girls for winning these two games. It was not easy, but we managed to do it. The upcoming match against Athlético Abidjan is just as important as the previous two games we played, so I do not expect the team to take it lightly. Our goal is to maintain our excellent record and continue to perform at our best. Athlético is a strong opponent, and we respect them, but we will approach the game with the same determination and focus that we have shown so far,” Sundowns Ladies defender Karabo Dhlamini told her club’s Media Department.
Her sentiments were echoed by forward Melinda Kgadiete, whose solitary goal against SC Casablanca made all the difference and saw Banyana ba Style to victory.
The Eastern Cape-born Kgadiete has now scored in every edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League since inception.
In 2021 she netted in the opening game against Vihiga Queens as Sundowns Ladies won 1-0, while last year she was on target in the 4-0 triumph over TP Mazembe and the 5-0 defeat of Wadi Degla.
“The mood in camp is fantastic; everyone is highly focused and fully aware of what is at stake. Our current form is excellent, and continuous victories are essential for boosting our confidence as players. It is great to maintain this winning streak and we are all motivated to give our best in our final group game,” said Kgadiete.
“While it is true that we have made it to the semi-finals, our approach remains unchanged: we treat every game as if it is a final. Every single match holds immense importance for us. If we aspire to win this tournament, we understand that we must secure victories in every game. We are determined to go all the way and lift the trophy and that requires winning every game that stands in our path.”
The 2021 inaugural champions will be hoping to repeat last year’s achievement when they sailed through the group stages with three wins – 2-1 vs Bayelsa Queens (Nigeria); 5-0 vs Wadi Degla (Egypt) and 4-0 vs TP Mazembe (DR Congo).
This will the second time the Brazilians face the hosts in this competition, following the 4-0 loss to AS FAR of Morocco in last year’s final.
It will also be the fourth club from the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) they come across – and the South Africans have a perfect record against teams from this region with wins over
River Angels (1-0 in 2021); Hasaacas Ladies (2-0 in 2021) and Bayelsa Queens (2-1 in 2022).
A win on Saturday will see Sundowns Ladies claim their eighth group stages match win (out of nine).
In 12 games since inception, the South Africans have won 10 fixtures in total, with one draw and one loss (both against the same team – AS FAR). They have also managed 10 clean sheets – with Andile Dlamini accounting for seven, the highest since the start of competition.
The Brazilians face a team that is under tremendous pressure not to follow in the footsteps of 2021 hosts Wadi Degla who failed to get out of the group.
A loss will see them being the first home team to be knocked out without registering a win – but victory could get them to the next round and become the second host club to qualify for the last four after AS FAR in 2022.
Against Sundowns Ladies, the Ivorians will have to play out of their skin following a 1-all draw in the opening match and a 2-1 defeat in their last game – in both instances they took the lead first.
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Mamelodi Sundowns (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 | Top 2 Advance to semi-finals |
| 2 | JKT Queens | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Athlético F.C. d’Abidjan (H) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | |
| 4 | SC Casablanca | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 |
By Matlhomola Morake
