Andile ‘Sticks’ Dlamini was a constant presence for Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, who recently secured their second COSAFA zonal qualifier title with a 2-0 victory over Double Action Ladies in the tournament final.
The win meant the Brazilians not only claimed bragging rights in the region and a trophy but also grabbed the golden ticket to represent the Southern region at the tournament in Ivory Coast later this year.
Sticks maintained two clean sheets during the group stages and was honored as the Best Goalkeeper of the Group Stage. The Banyana Banyana shot-stopper also played a pivotal role in the 3-1 semi-final victory against Green Buffaloes before making another appearance in the final, concluding the tournament with three clean sheets in four games played.
Despite receiving the COSAFA Golden Glove award, Dlamini believes that winning the tournament as a team takes precedence over any individual honors for her.
“For me, the most important thing was reclaiming the COSAFA crown and keeping clean sheets is a result of the hard work in training with the goalkeeper coaches and the team as a whole. It’s simply a cherry on top of what was most important to us, which is winning the trophy. Individual awards are nice, but they are a reflection of the collective effort we put into this tournament. I am proud of my team and grateful for the support of our supporters,” Sticks stated.
Having previously tasted continental success during the inaugural edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League, Dlamini emphasizes that their next objective is to secure the title once again.
“We’re familiar with the feeling of being crowned champions of the continent, having won it in 2021 and going very close again last year. It’s an incredible sensation and we are eager to savor it once again. That’s the Sundowns way – we always dream big and strive to claim titles. Our mindset is all about pursuing excellence and bringing glory to the club. With the COSAFA title in our hands, we are motivated to channel that success into the upcoming CAF Champions League and even the Hollywoodbets Super League. Our aspiration is not only to compete but to triumph because, at Sundowns, we believe in dreaming big and turning those dreams into reality,” Andile concluded.
Congratulations once again to Andile!!!
