Hasaacas Ladies vs Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Preview

Veteran defender Perpetual Agyekum also made the best XI of the Group Stage along with Janet Egyir. Both players have been excellent in defence, while Perpetual Agyekum’s has also netted two goals.

There are a host of young players within the ranks of both clubs that will make this a high-octane, end-to-end slobber knocker.

Another 19-year-old player, wearing Hasaacas Ladies goalkeeper’s jersey, Grace Buoadu, has conceded four goals in the tournament and has only kept one clean sheet, meaning coach Yussif Basigi’s team have to score twice against Sundowns if they’re to have their hands raised in victory.

“I started coaching girls in the school level since 2002. In 2003, I won the regional games with the high school teams. I was always told that with my patience, I can coach women’s football well. It’s a passion that has driven me since then,” Basigi told CAFOnline.com.

The passionate manager proudly exclaimed: “These girls mean a lot to me; I only want to see them excelling in their lives.”

Step-by-step, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have gained momentum en route to the final and with each lung-bursting performance stamped with the official Masandawana swag, confidence, style and flair that is based on playing attractive, possession-based football, all tied in a neat bow, protected by an impenetrable defence that hasn’t conceded a single goal in the tournament….

Banyana Banyana’s central-defensive gem Bambanani Mbane and club-captain Zanele Nhlapo were named in the Team of the Group Stage along with goalkeeper Asa Rabalao, however, each and every player gives everything on the pitch to ensure the team’s clean sheet.

Blood, sweat and tears were the scenes at the end of the penalty shootout victory over Malabo Kings following Bongiwe Thusi slotting home the matchwinner and making it rain on South African football lover’s faces.

Oratile Mokwena and Thalea Smidt are silky smooth footballers that will be responsible for safely and precisely dispatching the ball from the middle of the park to my player of the tournament, Chuene Morifi, on the left-flank and up to the strike force of Rhoda Mulaudzi, Melinda Kgadiete and Andisiwe Mgcoyi.

These players complement each other very well, although, the hard work done by the box-to-box midfielders when the team doesn’t have possession doesn’t go unnoticed.

Karabo “Makhu” Makhurubetshi’s role is vital to the team’s success. Personally, I’d liken her positional play, understanding and experience to Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

Makhu is also the voice of the team as explained by goalkeeper Andile “Sticks” Dlamini in a recent interview alongside her fellow goalkeeper Asa Rabalao on NEWZROOM AFRIKA.

“There’s no competition, there’s no competition between us and the mens side, yes we have been keeping clean sheets but it’s more or less like a family.

We believe in making sure that we do not concede as a family, as a unit, that our strikers will do their job in making sure that they score and then everything will be even.

You know when you don’t concede, you most probably have an advantage to win games, so when it comes to keeping clean sheets in the mens side and the females side, it’s no competition, it’s just something that goes with the culture of not wanting to lose.”

On the touchline, we see assistant coach Agnes Nkosi ensuring things run smooth as clockwork, while head coach Jerry Tshabalala oversees operations next to the rest of his technical staff. Ahead of the match, here’s what Masandawana’s mentor told CAFOnline.com: “Being here in the final is not about me, it’s more about the team. I tell my players that in each tournament we play, we have to do our absolute best, regardless of what happens next. We just write history as we go. I know our names will always be in history books”.

He had a message to deliver. “To all the girls, especially African girls, the future of women’s football is bright. If you respect football, football respects you back”.