After securing a semi-final place at this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifiers, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies will be aiming to clinch the top spot in Group B as they face Mozambique’s Costa Do Sol in their third and final group game.
Both teams clashed in the group stage of last year’s competition, with Banyana Ba Style running out 8-1 winners. Despite enjoying a comprehensive victory last time out, Regina Mogolola believes they cannot be taken for granted this time around.
“We hold Costa De Sol in high regard, regardless of the approach they choose to employ. Our objective as a team is clear – to secure victory in the COSAFA tournament. We approach every team with the same level of respect and seriousness, never underestimating anyone. We also recognize that opponents have made improvements, so we have to remain vigilant. We aim to score early and minimize any potential complacency,” Regina stated.
The Brazilians have been in superb form since the tournament started, registering an 8-0 win over Olympic de Moroni from Comoros before putting four past Eswatini’s Young Buffaloes in their second group fixture.
Like Mogolola, Lerato Kgasago believes Costa De Sol cannot be written off, “When we look at the results from last year and compare them to this year, Costa De Sol couldn’t secure a single point during the group stages last year. However, they have turned things around this year with a perfect two out of two wins. This remarkable improvement highlights the team’s growth and their strong pursuit of silverware. While our goal is to secure a victory, it is unlikely that we will score eight goals against them again.”
Kgasago further stated, “I expect a tough encounter because they are a team that can work hard. We need to be tactically disciplined and apply the synergy we have demonstrated in the past two games to the upcoming one. They will come into the game confident due to their previous results, so we just need to absorb anything that comes our way and capitalize on our goal scoring opportunities.”
The clash between Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and Mozambique’s Costa Do Sol will take place on Monday, September 4th, at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban. The kick-off is scheduled for 15:30.