Mamelodi Sundowns lifted the regional crown at the 2025 CAF Under-17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) to end 2025 in the most perfect way possible—on top of African Club football, capping an unforgettable season of youth dominance.
The South African powerhouse made a bold final-match statement, dismantling Lesotho’s Lishoeshoe 5-0 at Ngoni Stadium, Zimbabwe.
Their tournament journey was a continuation of the remarkable season produced by the Club’s junior teams—fierce, structured, and ruthless in execution. In just four matches, Sundowns scored 30 goals and conceded only one, finishing with the strongest offensive and defensive record among the eight participating teams.
They also recorded the tournament’s largest victory earlier in the group stage, demolishing Namibia’s Otjiwarongo Sports Academy 16-0, signalling early that they were the side to beat.
While the trophy was won by the team, the moment carried profound personal meaning for captain Katleho Malebana, who anchored the midfield primarily as a CDM (defensive midfielder) and advanced into CAM (attacking midfield) roles when required. She also contributed crucial goals, finishing the tournament with four strikes to her name.
Malebana struggled to put the feeling into words—but eventually found them: “It feels incredibly special to have written our own chapter of history by winning this tournament. Captaining this team makes the achievement even heavier for me in the best possible way—it honestly feels unreal. There are moments in football you imagine, and there are moments that surpass imagination… this was one of them.”
The triumph carried even more emotional weight because of what it represented beyond football.
“I was emotional and extremely excited. We did not just make history—we did it for South Africa. We wanted the rest of Africa to see the level of commitment, preparation, and sacrifice we put in behind the scenes. Every exhausting training session, every sprint, every tactical drill, every tear shed in preparation—it all paid off. Knowing that we delivered this for our country made the moment even bigger.”
Another standout youth star, forward Munashe Mugwara, electrified the tournament with her versatility across the left and right wings, where her pace, creativity and finishing ability tormented defences. Her contributions were recognised with the Player of the Tournament award.
When asked how it felt to be crowned champions, she said: “Thank you so much. I was excited in that moment, and honestly, I still am. It is an incredible honour. We came here to compete, but we also came to win. To do it the way we did makes it even more special.”
At the moment the final whistle confirmed the victory, Mugwara offered a heartfelt reflection shaped by faith:
“When the whistle blew, all I could think about was how powerful and gracious God has been. He carried us through every match. I kept asking myself, ‘Are we really the champions?’ It felt surreal. We knew we prepared well, but seeing it manifest in victory was overwhelming. God was the foundation of our strength.”
CAF launched the GIFT U-17 tournament to expand competitive opportunities for Club youth teams across Africa, complementing national team pathways and reinforcing CAF’s commitment to growing women’s football by creating early platforms for emerging stars.
For Mamelodi Sundowns, the 2025 GIFT championship stands as more than a trophy. It symbolizes a season built on structured development, national pride, emotional resilience, elite preparation and youth excellence. Most importantly, it marks a flawless full stop to 2025—a year the Club’s young generation will forever remember.
Kabo Yello,I’m proud of this institution n totally love their vision,keep on elevating the standards n congratulations to this youth for giving their all n rewarding the bedge of the most successful sport institution in SADC… Kabo Yello bajabulile