Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies head coach Godfrey Sapula is not expecting easy matches at this year’s COSAFA | CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
The two-time continental champions have been drawn in Group A alongside Zambian champions Zesco Ndola Girls, Malawi’s Ntopwa FC, and Namibia’s Beauties Football Club.
Sundowns begin their campaign this afternoon with a clash against Ntopwa FC at 15:00 hours, shortly after the opening fixture between Zesco Ndola Girls and Beauties FC.
Speaking to COSAFA media ahead of the tournament, Sapula stressed that the growing competitiveness of women’s football in the region means there will be no straightforward games.
“We have been using the domestic league to prepare for COSAFA, and we identified areas that needed improvement so that we come here ready to compete,” he said.
“Our target is to qualify from the group stage and eventually win the tournament. But you cannot come here expecting that some matches will be easy and others will be tough. The fact that more teams are emerging and growing stronger shows the progress of women’s football in the COSAFA region. That means we have to bring our A-game in every match if we want to give ourselves a realistic chance of qualifying for the Champions League.”
Sundowns, who remain favorites to progress, will be looking to add another regional crown to their impressive record as women’s football continues to grow across Southern Africa.
Group B begins on Saturday with last year’s beaten finalists, Gaborone United Ladies of Botswana, taking on Young Buffaloes from Eswatini at 12:00 CAT.
Also on Saturday, Group C starts with Zimbabwe’s Herentals Queens against Mozambique’s Costa do Sol at 15:00 CAT.
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