Mamelodi Sundowns and Refilwe gear up for Caf battle
Two teams from the Gauteng Women’s Development League (GWDL), Mamelodi Sundowns and Refilwe, will represent South Africa in the forthcoming second edition of the u17 Confederation of African Football (Caf) Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT), which takes place from 8-15 December in Zimbabwe.
The draw for the event was held on Friday at Cosafa House, in Johannesburg, which serves as the headquarters for the Southern African Football Confederation (Cosafa).
The tournament aims to provide clubs and academies with essential international exposure for young athletes. It was introduced in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in January of this year, where Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa Queens (JKT), from the host country, emerged victorious in the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) region, which is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
The tournament now turns its attention to the Cosafa region and the eight-team line-up features several well-known clubs and powerhouses in African football.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies will be represented by their u17 team, which recently secured the GWDL title. Some members of that squad were also integrated into the Brazilians’ team, which successfully defended the Gauteng Women’s Soccer League title last weekend.
Banyana Ba Style is in Group A, along with the home team, Mpopoma Sports Academy, Otjiwarongo Sports Academy, from Namibia, and Luwinga Academy, from Malawi.
In Group B, Refilwe, which was established in January 2024 in Pretoria, will be up against more experienced teams with championship backgrounds.
In their first season, last year, Refilwe, unsurprisingly, experienced their fair share of challenges. In 2025, they used the lessons learned from those experiences to put together a strong campaign in the GWDL.
Their line-up included some new faces, and they also made some strategic adjustments, which led to an outstanding third place finish in only their second GWDL season. They finished behind only Sundowns and the SAFA Academy and held off JVW for third.
One of the notable highlights of Refilwe’s 2025 GWDL campaign was their 3-2 victory over the SAFA Academy.
SuperSport Schools Plus spoke with Lindiwe Malaza, aka Coach Skhulu about the challenge that awaits her charges. She said Refilwe is excited to have received the opportunity to participate in the Caf tournament.
“We achieved significant success, emerging as a formidable team that brings excitement to the pitch,” she reflected on the GWDL season.
“This opportunity serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team members, and we view it as a reward for their efforts.
“Our success is a reflection of the institution’s commitment to promoting township football, and we are proud to represent it with passion and determination.
“We have established a strong team identity, and we are eager to make a lasting impression in the tournament in Zimbabwe.
Our goal is not only to participate, but to make a statement and introduce ourselves to the African football community,” Malaza concluded.
Refilwe’s determination will be put to the test by Aguila Girls, from Namibia, the Okarakara Golden Ladies, also from Namibia, and Lishoeshoe, from Lesotho.
The winners of the groups will contest the final at the Ngoni Mwosa Stadium, in Harare, on Thursday, 18 December. The fixture list is yet to be revealed but will be made known in the coming days.
Caf established the GIFT u17 tournament to provide club teams with a chance to compete against their counterparts from within their regions, thus supplementing the events already held for national teams.
The continental body has prioritised the advancement of women’s football as a crucial element of its development strategy, and the GIFT u17 tournament presents the young athletes with an opportunity to display their talent and acquire valuable experience.
“The Caf GIFT u17 tournament was created to fill an important gap in women’s football,” Caf’s Head of Women’s Football, Meskerem Tadesse Goshime, told the Cosafa media team. “It aims to offer girls under the age of 17, who often play in senior leagues, an opportunity to compete at a higher level.
“This tournament not only enables young players to gain international experience, but it also stimulates investment in women’s football at the level of national clubs and associations.
“The ultimate goal is to see more African countries participate in similar competitions as part of regional development.
“This tournament is a starting point for the expansion of girls’ competitions throughout Africa, and the idea is to create a platform for girls under the age of 17 to play in competitions appropriate to their level and age,” she concluded.
Group A
Mpopoma Sports Academy (Zimbabwe)
Otjiwarongo Sports Academy (Namibia)
Mmaelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Luwinga Academy (Malawi)
Group B
Aguila Girls (Zambia)
Okakarara Golden Ladies (Namibia)
Refilwe FC (South Africa)
Lishoeshoe (Lesotho)
