Renewed enthusiasm for Sundowns Ladies as new season approaches

Reigning Hollywoodbets Super League champions Sundowns Ladies have returned to training as preparations for the 2024 season have gotten underway. The Brazilians enjoyed a well-deserved break after sealing their second treble in three years.

The players and the technical team have had several training sessions as preparations continue to hit top gear. Andile Dlamini, who was named Best Goalkeeper at last season’s CAF Women’s Champions League, has outlined her objectives for the next campaign.

“The plan is to stay consistent and win everything because every year is a new opportunity. Before we play the highest stage in club women’s football, the CAF Champions League, we aim to win all local competitions again. I am excited about the team’s unity and bond, as well as their willingness to fight for each other during training. Additionally, I am very excited to be injury-free ahead of the new season,” Andile stated.

Ahead of the new season, Andisiwe Mgcoyi has hailed the last few weeks of preparations as one of the best in recent years.

“The pre-season training was one of the most enjoyable because we had the opportunity to address some of the specific areas that needed improvement from the previous season. What excites me the most is the prospect of competing in the Champions League as automatic qualifiers. My personal goal for the upcoming season is to secure another CAF title, not only for the personal prestige it brings but also for the collective continental dominance we currently enjoy,” said Andisiwe.
Boitumelo Rabale, who won the Hollywoodbets Super Player of the Year award for a second successive season, believes the upcoming campaign will present a different type of challenge compared to previous seasons.

“Every team will be gunning for us because we have set the bars quite high and that is what we do at Mamelodi Sundowns. Knowing that every team will be aiming for our titles will serve as motivation for us to work even harder as we prepare for a very busy season ahead. We have been preparing very well and trying out new combinations and systems. I genuinely believe we are ready for the season and the goal is to win every competition we participate in,” Rabale stated.

The new campaign will also provide players like Refilwe Tholakele, who enjoyed a superb debut with the club, an opportunity to build on their first-season success. Tholakele scored on her debut in the 3-0 league victory against UWC and finished as the Top Scorer of the CAF Women’s Champions League with five goals.
Subsequently, she was nominated for the CAF Interclub Player of the Year Women Award, while her second goal in the final against Sporting Club Casablanca was nominated for the CAF Goal of the Year Award.

Despite enjoying an excellent start to life at Chloorkop, the Botswana forward is aiming to achieve even more in her second season, “I plan to do better this year because I believe there is always room for improvement and growth. I want to build on the successes of my debut season and contribute even more to the team’s achievements. There are areas of my game that I have identified for development and I am dedicated to putting in the hard work and effort needed to elevate my performance. Overall, my goal is to continue developing as a player and making meaningful contributions to the success of the team.”

As a pivotal part of the treble-conquering quests, Chuene Morifi believes there is a collective hunger within the team to achieve more. “The objective is still the same; we need to defend all the titles that we won last season. It is not just about maintaining our success but pushing ourselves to reach new heights. The team is determined and focused on the goals ahead and we understand the challenges that come with defending titles. On a personal level, I want to contribute more goals and assists to improve the team’s chances of winning games.”

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies will get their season underway with a mouthwatering clash against Royal AM on the 3rd of March 2023.