Continental champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies will be looking to kick off their COSAFA Women’s Champions League 2022 zonal qualifier on a solid note as they square off against Mozambique’s Costa Do Sol in their Group A opener.
Ahead of the opening fixture against the Mozambican side, Salome Kekana is eyeing success in her first COSAFA competition as a Masandawana.
“I am so excited to be part of this competition. My wish has always been to represent Sundowns outside of South Africa; thus, this is a dream come true. We are aiming to start the tournament on a good note against our opponents. Since joining the club a few months ago, I have developed as a footballer and I am hoping to learn much more during the COSAFA competition,” Kekana stated.
Group B will see last season’s semifinalists Green Buffaloes of Zambia go up against debutants – Young Buffaloes from Eswatini and Olympique De Moroni of Comoros.
The winner of the COSAFA zonal qualifier will advance to the 2022 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League finals to be held in Morocco later in the year. While victory in Durban will excite her, Salome is already eyeing the big prize.
“We are in Durban to pick the ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League, but that is just one aspect of our major objective. The plan is to defend the continental crown we claimed last year. I feel very happy to be part of this history-chasing pack and I cannot wait to etch my name into the record books at this great club,” concluded Kekana.
Since the Soshanguve-born player joined the Chloorkop-based side, she has dazzled in the Hollywoodbets Super League. The versatile footballer has played in a variety of positions for Sundowns and has duly impressed.
Kekana scored her first goal for Sundowns Ladies against her former side, TUT Ladies in a 5-1 demolition. Her second strike came in the 2-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies while her third was in the 4-2 win over JVW FC.
Last season, Banyana Ba Style scored an incredible 22 goals across five games in the COSAFA CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers and conceded just once.
We wish our Ladies all the best!