Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies stay on course to defend their TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League title, as they qualified for the semi-finals with a 4-0 victory over a 10-woman TP Mazembe in Marrakech on Sunday night.
Captain Zanele Nhlapo converted from the spot in the 19th minute after Chuene Morifi was brought down, in the box to open the scoring. Lelona Daweti scored the side’s second and her fourth goal of the tournament, which puts her at the top of the charts five minutes before the halftime break.
Salome Kekakana came on for Morifi at the start of the second half and in the 48th minute Bambanani Mbane’s long cross found Melinda Kgadiete who put it in the top corner to make it 3-0.
The South African side finished top of Group B with nine points, having scored 11 goals and conceded just one in the group stage. They will play the side that finished second in Group A, Tanzania’s Simba Queens, in the semi-finals.
Jerry Tshabalala’s charges showed signs of scoring early on but their attempts were dealt with by Mazembe goalkeeper, notably Daweti’s header in the eighth minute.
The coach had wrung in three changes for this final Group B encounter, bringing back Andile Dlamini in goals, giving Chantelle Esau a start too as Nonhalnhla Mthandi was rested. Dlamini was the less busy keeper on the night but was called in to make a save in the 27th minute when Naome Kabakaba almost equalised. That would prove to be the DR Congo side’s few real attempts at goal in the half.
Meanwhile, Sundowns did not stop pushing for more goals. At the half hour mark Daweti could have completed a brace but bumped into the keeper. Four minutes later Kgadiete was denied by the crossbar. Mazembe won a corner kick in the 67th minute and Kabakaba was denied again by Dlamini who did the same again four minutes later.
Mazembe had a glorious opportunity to pull one back when the Banyana Banayna number one was out of position but a Makhurubetshi clearance denied Merveille Kanjinga in the 76th minute. Kanjinnga did not finish the game as she was red carded for a nasty foul on Hlogi Mashigo.
Gabonnelwe Kekana added the fourth just before full-time to wrap up the game for Jerry Tshabalala’s team.
