Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies announced their arrival at the COSAFA Women’s Champions League Qualifier in emphatic fashion, producing a dominant 8–0 victory over Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in their opening Group B fixture in Gaborone.
The Brazilians wasted no time asserting their authority, with Lelona Daweti opening the scoring in the 8th minute before Isabella Ludwig doubled the advantage in the 11th minute. Refilwe Tholakele then took over, scoring in the 14th minute before adding further goals in the 30th and 45+ minutes to complete her first-half hat-trick. Daweti struck again in the 17th and 18th minutes to complete her own hat-trick, while Munashe Mugwara added the eighth goal in the 76th minute to cap a commanding performance.
The result gives Banyana Ba Style an ideal start to their campaign and sends an early statement to the rest of the competition. Adding to the celebrations, Ludwig was named Player of the Match for her influential performance in the emphatic opening-day victory.
Speaking after the match, Kholosa Biyana reflected on a performance that she described as an excellent start to the tournament.
“It was a great game for us. We started very well and from the first whistle we showed what we wanted to do. We were focused, we moved the ball well and we created many opportunities. Scoring early also helped us settle into the game and gave us confidence to continue pushing forward. I think everyone was consistent throughout the match and we kept the same intensity, which was very important for us.”
Biyana also highlighted the significance of the clean sheet and praised the collective contribution of the squad, insisting that the result was much more than the goals scored.
“The clean sheet is also very important for us. It shows that we were consistent from the back to the front and that everyone understood their responsibility. When you score eight goals, people naturally focus on the goals, but for us, keeping a clean sheet and staying disciplined for the whole game is something we are very happy about.”
For Noxolo Cesane, the emphatic victory was equally a reflection of the unity within the Sundowns camp.
“We were all together as a team. From the beginning, we knew that we had to work for each other and that everyone had to play their part. It was not just about the goals. It was about how we defended together, how we attacked together and how we encouraged each other throughout the game. When you have that kind of unity, it makes a big difference on the pitch. Everyone was committed and everyone wanted to contribute to the performance.”
The Brazilians will now turn their attention to their next Group B fixture against Malawi’s Silver Strikers on Sunday, 23 August.
