Take a sliver of Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies’ performance in the Hollywoodbets Super League this season, rush the sample to a lab and ask top scientists to analyse what they find. The test results will be labelled “Beware: ruthless streak in progress!” The peerless Brazilians have shown steely determination all season with each game bringing out the best in Coach Jerry Tshabalala’s charges.
This term, Masandawana’s battering-ram style of football has been too hot for the opposition to handle and their highly effective ‘Gegenpressing’ has resulted in an imperious 67 goals. Their regular shellacking of opponents whether home or away in the league means Banyana Ba Style is already warming up for next month’s TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League in stunning fashion. Although the Chloorkop side has been severely tested in the last two games against First Touch and University of Johannesburg Ladies, the Brazilians have shown their ability to grind out wins on the road, an attribute that usually comes in handy during continental fixtures. Those hard-fought victories further highlights Banyana Ba Style’s aptitude and bravery as the team maintained their unbeaten status.
That cloak of invincibility will be further examined on Sunday as The Brazilians face a tricky tie against Durban Ladies at the Giant Stadium in Pretoria in the latest round of fixtures. This is a third game for the Brazilians inside a week and with continental assignment just around the corner, Coach Tshabalala reckons that his troops will be looking to step up their game to ensure positive results across all fronts.
“We are anticipating another tough encounter. I know Durban Ladies are a very strong and technical side. They also have a good coach who has improved the robustness of the team. We are not going to take our opponents for granted because the game of football is very unpredictable and one has to be always prepared for any tactical surprises. We are just six points away from clinching the title and we want to do it in style so we can turn our attention to the CAF Champions League which is just around the corner. Despite the games coming thick and fast, we are fully prepared for the next few weeks but our minds are focused on the Durban Ladies at the moment. Currently, we have a lot of players to choose from and we are geared towards the stern test that we will be facing from our opponents,” explained Coach Tshabalala.
The gaffer also sent his best wishes to the First Team who host Congolese AS Maniema Union in the CAF Championships League Second Preliminary Round second leg also on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
“We are wishing our first team all the best in their encounter against the Congolese team. I was very fortunate to have a pep talk with Coach Manqoba Mngqithi during the week when he congratulated us on our hard-fought win. I believe in the boys and I believe they are going to make Masandawana proud”.
Mamelodi Sundowns square off against Durban Ladies on Sunday afternoon, 24 October at the Giant Stadium in Pretoria.