- Match: Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (South African) vs Simba Queens (Tanzania)
- Stage: Semi-finals
- Venue: Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat
- Date: 09 November 2022
- Time: 17h00 Local time (18h00 SA Time)
Head- to- head
- This is the first time the teams will be meeting at the CAF WCL Finals.
- Sundowns have faced opponents from the CECAFA Zone previously, they defeated Kenyan side Vihiga Queens 1-0 at the 2021 Group Stages in their opening game.
- Simba Queens are up against a COSAFA member nation for the second time, they have already won against Zambian club Green Buffaloes in the Group Stage a 2-0 win in their final game which sealed qualification for the last four.
- Simba’s men’s team have faced South African opponents in CAF Club Competition previously, they defeated Santos 9-8 on penalties in the first round of the CAF Champions League in 2003 after both legs ended 0-0. In their last two campaigns in CAF Club competitions, they have been ousted by South African clubs, losing two Quarterfinals in 2020-21 to Kaizer Chiefs 4-3 on aggregate and Orlando Pirates on penalties in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
- Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are featuring in the Semi-finals of the CAF WCL for a second time, they defeated Malabo Kings in 2021 in the last four on spot kicks winning 6-5 in the shoot-out after the game ended 0-0.
- Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies win over Malabo Kings in the 2021 Semi-finals is only one of two games at the finals to end goalless, both have involved Sundowns. It is also the only game at the finals to have been decided on penalties.
- Defending Champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies extended their unbeaten run at the CAF WCL to 8 games (W6 D2), with their 4-0 win over TP Mazembe in their final group game.
- Having scored just four goals at the 2021 CAF WCL Finals, they have now scored 11 at the current tournament the most goals by a club at a single CAF WCL Finals going one better than the 10 goals scored by Hasaacas Ladies at the 2021 tournament.
- Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are the first team at the CAF WCL Finals to win successive games at the tournament by four or more goals, with their 5-0 win over Wadi Degla and their 4-0 win over TP Mazembe in their last two games.
- Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have won three games in a row at the CAF WCL Finals for the first time and won all three of their group games for the first time.
- Starting with their win over Hasaacas Ladies in the 2021 Final Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have won their last four games at the finals in open play. They also defeated Malabo Kings on penalties in the 2021 Finals and are looking for a sixth win in a row.
- Mamelodi Sundowns fourth goal scored by Gabonnelwe Kekana in their 4-0 win over TP Mazembe was their 15th goal at the finals.
- Heading into the current CAF WCL Finals Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies goal per game average was 0.8, that ratio has now been elevated to 1.88 goals per game with their 11 goals in Morocco.
- Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have kept 7 clean sheets in 8 games at CAF WCL Finals, the only goal they have let in was in their 2-1 win over Bayelsa Queens at the current tournament.
- Lelona Daweti has scored four goals at the 2022 CAF WCL Finals, the joint most at the finals in the group stages along with Hasaacas Ladies Evelyn Badu who also netted four goals in the 2021 group stages.
- Lelona Daweti has scored in all three of Sundowns group games she is the first player to score in all her team’s group games as well as in three games in a row at the competition.
- Should Lelona Daweti manage to score again she will be the first player to score in four successive games at the tournament as well as in four different games at the finals, Evelyn Badu’s five goals at the 2021 Finals were scored in three games.
- Another goal for Daweti will see her tie with Evelyn Badu on five goals, for the most individual goals at a single CAF WCL Finals.
- Of the 11 goals scored by Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies at the 2022 CAF WCL Finals five have been scored in the first half and six have come in the second half.
- In their win over TP Mazembe defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies scored their four goals from seven shots on target, while their opponents also had seven shots on target but could not score.
- Sundowns made 461 passes in the win against TP Mazembe by comparison their opponents made 259 passes.
- In the win over TP Mazembe Oratile Mokwena made 45 passes the most by a Mamelodi Sundown player in the game.
- Melinda Kgadiete has had four goal involvements for Sundowns in the tournament, she has made two assists and scored two goals.
- Both of the assists that Melinda Kgadiete has laid on at the finals have been for goals scored by Lelona Daweti in Sundowns opening game against Bayelsa Queens and in the win over TP Mazembe.
- Of the 8 games that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have featured in at the CAF WCL Finals they have only failed to outright win one game, their 0-0 group stage draw against AS FAR in 2021.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies CAF WCL Finals Record
P W D L GF GA GD GPG WIN%
8 6 2 0 15 1 14 1.88 75
Simba Queens
- Victory for Simba Queens will see them become the first club or national team from East Africa to reach the final of a senior CAF Women’s tournament.
- Progression to the final will see Simba Queens become just the third East African club men’s or women’s team to reach the CAF Champions League or CAF WCL Final. Previously their name sake Ugandan club Simba F.C. and their rivals SC Villa were runners up in the African Club of Champions Cup the pre-cursor to the CAF Champions League in 1972 and 1991 respectively.
- Should they reach the final it will be the second time that Simba would have one of their team’s make it to the final of a CAF Club competition, in 1993 their men’s team were runners up in the CAF Cup losing out to Ivorian club Stella Adjamé 2-0 on aggregate.
- Simba Queens became the second team in CAF WCL Finals history to lose their first game and reach the last four, prior to the current tournament only Malabo Kings in 2021 had lost first up and reached the last four. Fellow semi-finalists in Morocco Bayelsa Queens have also achieved the same feat.
- Simba Queens began the 2022 CAF WCL Finals with a 1-0 loss to hosts AS FAR in their opening game, they then bounced back with successive 2-0 wins over Determine Girls and Green Buffaloes.
- A win in open play or on penalties will see Simba Queens become the first team to win three successive games at their debut CAF WCL Finals appearance. Victory will also see them become just the second team along with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and AS FAR to win three games in a row at the finals.
- Opah Clement is Simba Queens leading scorer at the current tournament, she has scored in their last two games scoring the opening goal in the 53rd minute against Determine Girls in a 2-0 win, and the second goal in their win over Green Buffaloes.
- To date all of Simba Queens games have been 0-0 at half time, all five goals scored in games involving them were scored in the second half. None of these goals have come before the 50th minute with four goals coming after the 60th minute mark.
- The earliest goal scored in a game involving Simba Queens was Opah Clement’s 53rd minute strike in their 2-0 win over Determine Girls.
- Opah Clement has scored in successive games for Simba Queens, another goal in this game will see her join Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies striker Lelona Daweti as one of two players to have scored in three games in a row at the finals.
- Opah Clement has helped Simba Queens turn around their fortunes in the last two games as she has scored two goals with just three shots on target in her last two appearances.
- Fatuma Issa made the most touches by any Simba player in the win over Green Buffaloes (70), she also made 50 passes in the game.
- Simba Queens goalkeeper Gelwa Lugomba has kept successive clean sheets she has conceded just one goal in three appearances, while facing 11 shots and making 10 saves.
- Gelwa Lugomba is the only goalkeeper to have kept successive clean-sheets at the 2022 CAF WCL Finals, Bayelsa Queens goalkeeper Ange Bawou did keep a clean-sheet in their win over TP Mazembe in their second group game. She was then withdrawn four minutes from time during their win over Wadi Degla which did not see her complete the full 90 minutes.
- They had the joint best defensive record along with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and AS FAR in the group stages conceding just one goal.
Simba Queens CAF WCL Finals Record
P W D L GF GA GD GPG WIN%
3 2 0 1 4 1 3 1.33 67
Source: CAFOnline.com
