Mamelodi Sundowns shines at the Caf Gift Tournament
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have caught the eye with their sparkling performances at the u17 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT), taking place in Harare, Zimbabwe.
On Thursday, they powered their way to a one-sided 16-0 win over Namibia’s Otjiwarongo Sports Academy.
Banyana Ba Style also picked up the winner’s three points on Monday when they beat Luwinga Academy, of Malawi, 3-1 in the tournament’s opening match.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies teams – both the first team and the development squads – have been on a hot winning streak.
In November, they lifted trophies in the Gauteng Women’s Development League (GWDL), the Gauteng Sasol League, and the Gauteng Women’s Soccer League (GWSL).
Earlier this month, they laid claim to the Hollywoodbets Super League title for a sixth time in succession.
The Sundowns team currently participating in the u17 Caf GIFT Tournament is a mix of the u17 GWDL team, which won the Gauteng Sasol League, and the GWSL team, and it includes first-team members, among them Katleho Malebana and Munashe Mugwara. Both are teenagers and thus eligible to compete in the GIFT tournament.
The Sundowns line-up also features Zinhle Mkhize, the u17 vice-captain of the Sundowns GWDL team, who was recently honoured as the u19 Girls Player of the Year by SuperSport Schools.
She was also included in the SuperSport Schools Class of 2025 alongside fellow standouts Joshua Taylor, Oageng Lebesane, Okuhle Mkhize, and Tiago Kahn.
They’ve joined a group of elite stars – including Katleho Malebana, Shandre Campbell, Mateo Horstead, and Emile Witbooi. – who have previously been accorded the prestigious accolade,
On Monday, in their match against Luwinga Academy, Mugwara set Sundowns on the path to victory when she netted the tournament’s opening goal in the first half.
Angelique Mohatle extended the lead early in the second half, but Luwinga pulled a goal back through Rejoice Silungwe.
Sundowns, though, had the final say, with Mohatle netting her second goal late in the match to make the final score 3-1 in favour of the South African side.
On Thursday, the Brazilians were on fire and displayed exceptional skill as they tore the Otjiwarongo Sports Academy defence to shreds. Mugwara and Malebana were in top form, and the Namibians had no answers to the challenges they posed.
Malebana led the onslaught and was named the Player of the Match for her commanding performance. Mugwara, meanwhile, slotted four goals.
Lesego Tsatsi fired in a hat-trick, while Princess Shongwe, Nsovo Nxumalo, and Malebana, all struck twice. Mohatle, Boitumelo Manaka, and Rosinha Nair scored one each as ‘Downs ran wild.
After seeing her side score a glut of goals while also keeping a clean sheet, Sundowns’ coach Rhoda Mulaudzi congratulated her players for their outstanding performance at the post-match press conference.
She said keeping the opposition from scoring was one of the highlights of her charges’ outing, especially since they were also effective when on the attack. Keeping a clean sheet serves as a strong motivation for the team as they prepare for their next match, Mulaudzi said.
Despite the massive win, she also stressed that a lot of hard work awaits. “There is room for improvement, especially technically,” she explained. “There are moments when I felt that we could have done better, especially in our finishing.”
It was important for her team to take their chances and assert their dominance in the group stage, the coach said.
With two wins, 19 goals scored and only one conceded, Sundowns is top of the Group A, followed closely by Zimbabwe’s Mpopoma Sports Academy, which defeated Luwinga Academy 2-1 on Thursday.
To reach the final, Sundowns will have to beat Mpopoma on Sunday, or, at the very least, draw with them when they meet on Sunday.
Another South African team, Refilwe, got their challenge off to a brutal start, suffering a heavy 2-6 loss to Lesotho’s Lishoeshoe, whihc has left them third in Group B.
They’ll have an opportunity to climb the table when they take on Okakarara Golden Ladies. The Namibians are bottom of the group ahead of their clash on Friday.
