Team Profiles
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (RSA)
- Founded: 2009
- Coach: Jerry Tshabalala, appointed 2012
- Previous CAF WCL Appearances: 1 (2021)
- Position at 2021 CAF WCL: Champions
- National Champions (5): 2013, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022
Bayelsa Queens (NGA)
- Founded: 1998
- Coach: Domo Okara, appointed 2021
- Previous CAF WCL Appearances: Tournament debut
- National Champions (5): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2018, 2022
Head- to- head
While this is the first meeting between the team’s it is Mamelodi Sundowns second game against Nigerian opponents in the CAF WCL Finals, they faced River Angels in their second group game at the 2021 Finals defeating them 1-0.
This is Sundowns second game against West African opponents at the CAF WCL, in addition to their group stage win at the 2021 tournament against River Angels they also overcame Ghanaian side Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 in the final to lift the title.
Mamelodi Sundowns
- Defending CAF WCL Champions Mamelodi Sundowns return to defend the title they won in 2021 in Egypt.
- Sundowns are one of three teams who participated at the inaugural CAF WCL in 2021 who make a return for this edition, the others are host team AS FAR and Egyptian team Wadi Degla.
- Winners of the inaugural CAF WCL in 2021, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies defeated Vihiga Queens of Kenya in their first game in Group A, Melinda Kgadiete scoring the games only goal in the 4th minute.
- Sundowns next defeated River Angels of Nigeria in their second group game, courtesy of a Zanele Nhlapho goal, their final group game ended 0-0 against Moroccan team AS FAR.
- In the semi-final a 0-0 draw against Equatorial Guinean side Malabo Kings meant the game went to a penalty shoot-out which Sundowns won 5-4 on penalties.
- Sundowns won the trophy with a 2-0 win over Hasaacas Ladies, on the 19sth November 2021 at the 30th June Stadium in Cairo. Their goals came courtesy of Chuene Morifi and Andisiwe Mcgoyi.
- Sundowns Ladies won the 2021 CAF WCL without conceding a single goal in their five games in the tournament, they managed to four goals in their five games.
- At the 2021 CAF WCL Sundowns biggest victory was a 2-0 win over the Ghanaian club Hasaacas Ladies, they won two group stage games against Vihiga Queens and River Angels 1-0. While they had two games end 0-0 their final group game against AS FAR as well as their Semi-final against Malabo Kings which they won on penalties.
- At the 2021 CAF WCL Mamelodi Sundowns four goals at the tournament were scored by four different players.
- Sundowns Ladies goalkeeper Andile Dlamini was voted as the best goalkeeper of the 2021 CAF WCL.
- Three Sundowns players Dlamini along with teammates Bambanani Mbane and Zanele Nhlapho were voted into the best XI players of the tournament.
- Sundowns did not manage to retain their COSAFA Women’s Champions League crown, they did reach a second final in the 2022 edition as they lost on penalties to Zambian side Green Buffaloes on penalties.
- In 13 games at major tournament finals covering the 2021 and 2022 COSAFA WCL as well as the 2021 CAF WCL, Sundowns have never lost a game in open play. Their record in these matches reads W9 D4 L0. Their only defeat was on penalties to Green Buffaloes in the 2022 COSAFA WCL Final.
- Sundowns in 13 games at major tournament finals have conceded just three goals while scoring 35 goals. In these 13 games they have kept 10 clean sheets.
- Sundowns have won their domestic league title five times; they wrapped up their 2022 domestic title with four games to spare as they defeated Coal City Wizards 9-0.
- Sundowns won 24 of their 27 league games this season losing two games and drawing one. They scored an amazing 112 goals while conceding 11.
- Sundowns lost on match day 5 in their domestic league against University of Western Cape 2-0 away from home, they then won their next 14 league games before the run came to an end with a 1-1 home draw against University of Western Cape.
- Sundowns coach Jerry Tshabalala who has been with the club for 15 years lead them to their fifth league title, he has been at the helm for all five of their topflight titles in 2013, 2015, 2019, 2021 and their most recent one in the current 2022 campaign.
- Sundowns coach Jerry Tshabalala was at the helm when they won the 2021 COSAFA WCL and followed it up with victory in the inaugural CAF WCL, he will be aiming to successfully defend the title his team won in Egypt.
- Four members of the current Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies team were part of the South African Women’s national team, that won the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations that was staged in Morocco in July. They are Thalea Smidt, Andile Dlamini, Bambanani Mbane and Melinda Kgadiete.
- Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini was voted as goalkeeper of the tournament at the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations as she helped South Africa win their first CAF AFWCON title.
- Sundowns Ladies will be aiming to defend their continental title, they became the first team to win the CAF Champions League and the CAF Women’s Champions League. When they lifted the title in Egypt in 2021, it was ironic as their men’s team also won their 2016 CAF Champions League title in Egypt when defeating Zamalek over two legs six years ago.
Bayelsa Queens
- Bayelsa Queens are participating in their first CAF Women’s Champions League.
- With Bayelsa Queens participating in the 2022 CAF WCL it means that Nigeria are the first country in the competition to have had two different participants, River Angels competed at the 2021 tournament in Egypt.
- During the 2021 CAF WCL Nigeria’s only other participant at the tournament Rivers Angels began with a loss to AS FAR going down 3-0, while Sundowns then defeated them 1-0 in their second game. Despite victory over Vihiga Queens of Kenya in their final group game a 4-0 win they were unable to progress.
- Won the 2021-22 Nigerian Women’s Premier League title their first since 2007, winning Group B ahead of defending Champions Rivers Angels by a single point over 12 games. In the national championship they won all five of their games, including one game which was awarded to them.
- Current Bayelsa queens coach Domo Okara took over the helm in 2021 he has led the club to the 2021 Betsy Obaseki Cup, 2021-22 Nigerian Women’s Premier League title and the 2022 WAFU B Women’s Champions League crown. Under his tutelage they have also won the Aiteo Cup.
- Bayelsa Queens followed in their rivals and counterparts footsteps Rivers Angels by becoming the second Nigeria club to qualify for the CAF WCL by winning the 2022 WAFU CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifiers.
- Rivers Angels were runners up in the 2021 WAFU ZONE B WCLQ in 2021, which meant that Bayelsa Queens became the first Nigerian team to win the WAFU Zone B WCLQ when lifting the trophy.
- At the 2022 WAFU Zone B WCLQ Bayelsa Queens began with a 5-0 win over Athleta FC of Togo, they then drew 0-0 against Ampem Darkoa of Ghana, before winning their final group game 3-1 against USFA of Burkina Faso.
- A 6-0 win over Espoir of Benin followed in the Semi-finals before a 3-0 win over Arpem Darkoa saw them lift the trophy.
- Bayelsa Queens at the 2022 WAFU Zone B WCLQ scored 17 goals they let in just one goal.
- Their warm-up games before the tournament saw them defeat Racing Athletic Casablanca 11-0 in a friendly game played at the Magic Village in Casablanca, on the 27th October. Six goals in the first half from Itimi Mercy, two from Flourish Sabastine and a hat-trick from Juliet Sunday, saw them put them prepare for their first CAF WCL in style.
Source: CAFOnline.com
