In what was tagged as one of the biggest fixtures the Hollywoodbets Super League has witnessed in recent times, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies showcased their class as they dominated the mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash against the University of Western Cape (UWC) on Sunday.
The Brazilians secured a thrilling 1-0 victory over the Western Cape side, clinching bragging rights and earning three valuable points.
Dubbed the ‘Battle for the Top,’ the game lived up to the hype from the blast of the whistle, with both teams coming close on several occasions early on. However, Masandawana drew first blood in the 19th minute, thanks to Refilwe Tholekele, who tucked home her fifth goal of the season.
The Tshwane giants thus went into the break with a one-goal lead. After the restart, the Western Cape side pushed for an equalizer but was contained by a resolute performance from Sundowns Ladies. In the end, Tholakele’s strike proved decisive as Downs earned all three points, as well as a well-deserved clean sheet.
Lebohang Ramalepe praised the character of the team in securing a massive victory for the Yellow Nation, “It was not an easy game and we had to push ourselves because we knew what three points meant in this match. We showed great character throughout the game and all credit goes to the team for a job well done. Overall, we are going home with three points and we are not settling for this. We aim to continue pushing because we have a clear objective of building on our momentum.”
Kholosa Biyana, who delivered an impressive performance against her former team, expressed what the win meant to the Brazilians who are gearing up for the upcoming CAF Women’s Champions League.
“Honestly, it was an emotional game for me because it was the first time I returned as an opponent. It was emotional at the start, but I grew into the game and fought hard for Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies. These are important points for us and I enjoyed the game. It was a great test for us and we passed it impressively. This win today will give us confidence ahead of the CAF Women’s Champions League. We need to keep ourselves refreshed and I am glad that as a team, we fought as a unit,” Biyana stated.
The win sees Sundowns Ladies return to the summit of the Hollywoodbets Super League, thanks to a superior goal difference of +69. The Brazilians have scored an impressive 84 goals and conceded just 15 times, with 21 wins in 25 games.
On the Sundowns’ scoring chart, Boitumelo Rabale leads the way with 21 league goals for the season, six more than Melinda Kgadiete, who has 15 goals. Andisiwe Mgcoyi has 10 strikes, while Miche Minnies has eight goals. Chuene Morifi and Lebohang Ramalepe each have six goals to their names.
Up next for Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies is the CAF Women’s Champions League were the Brazilians find themselves in Group A, alongside the hosts and tournament debutants, Athlético FC Abidjan, as well as the Moroccan side Sporting Club Casablanca and Tanzania’s JKT Queens.
Great results ladies….we needed this…had we lost it would have been over for us as UWC was doing well….excellent results…we should defend our title from here
Great collective effort from the ladies… however, please do not do this again keeping on the edge like that … we do not have health insurance (just joking) I am happy we achieved our objective to reclaim our position BUT there are still 5 games to play I am just hoping the result deflates UWC and kill their confidence. So when are we leaving for CAF >>??