Sundowns and CBE both lost their opening games and will be looking to bounce back as they face each other, in their second game in Group B.

This is the first meeting between the teams.

Sundowns will be facing a team from East Africa at the finals for a fourth time, they have previously faced Kenyan side Vihiga Queens in 2021 and Tanzanian duo Simba Queens and JKT Queens in 2022 and 2023.

Sundowns’ first game at the finals in 2021 saw them face Kenyan side, Vihiga Queens in their opening group game where they won 1-0. Thereafter they defeated Simba Queens 1-0 in the 2022 Semi-finals and in 2023, they defeated JKT Queens 2-0 in the group stages.

Sundowns will now have faced East African opponents in all four of their appearances at the finals.

Overall this is the fifth meeting between teams from the COSAFA and CECAFA regions, with teams from the South having won three of the previous four clashes.

In addition to Sundowns’ three games against East African opponents, the only other meeting between teams from COSAFA and CECAFA saw Simba Queens defeat Zambia’s Green Buffaloes 2-0 in the 2022 group stages.

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC

·      Sundowns lost their opening game against FC Masar of Egypt, going down 1-0.

·      Sundowns’ loss to Masar saw their 9-game run undefeated run in the group games at the finals come to an end (W8 D1).

·      Sundowns loss to Masar saw their run of winning 6 successive group games come to an end, it was only the second group game they had failed to win along with their final group game in 2021l, which was a 0-0 draw against AS FAR.

·      Sundowns’ loss to Masar was just their second loss at the finals along with the 2022 final.

·      Sundowns loss to Masar was just the fourth time in 16 games at the finals that they had failed to score in, along with 0-0 stalemates in 2021 against AS FAR and Malabo Kings, where they won the latter game on penalties as well as their 4-0 loss to AS FAR in the 2022 finals.

·      Sundowns’ loss to Masar meant that in the last two editions of the finals the reigning champions have lost their opening game, as 2022 reigning champions AS FAR lost their opening game in 2023.

·      Should Sundowns fail to win they will have failed to win successive games at the finals for the second time, they only once previously did not win successive games in open play, which was in 2021 where they drew their final group game against AS FAR and then defeated Malabo Kings on penalties in the Semi-finals.

·      Ethiopia is the third East African Country along with Kenya and Tanzania against whose clubs Sundowns will face.

·      Ethiopia will become the tenth country against whose clubs Sundowns would have faced at the finals along with Cote d’ Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Tanzania

·      Excluding the 2021 finals when all teams were making their tournament debut, across the 2022, 2023 and 2024 tournaments Sundowns have faced seven debutants. Their record in eight such games reads W7 D0 L1. They faced SC Casablanca twice in 2023.

·      Sundowns’ loss to Masar, including the 2021 finals is their first to a tournament debutant.

·      Sundowns managed two shots on target in their game against Masar, the fewest in 13 games in the tournament. The last time they had fewer attempts on target was when having zero shots on target in a 0-0 draw in their final group game against AS FAR in 2021.  

·      In their opening game loss to Masar, Sundowns completed 357 passes while their opponents only managed 127.

·      In their opening game against Masar, Lelona Daweti created six chances for Sundowns. The most after match day one by a player in a single game at the current finals.

·      Sundowns have scored seven goals combined in their three previous second group games at the finals without conceding a goal.

·      Melinda Kgadiete featured in her 14^th game at the finals for Sundowns in their opening game against Masar. She has now played at all four editions of the finals.

Central Bank of Ethiopia

·      CBE were defeated 3-0 in their opening game against Nigerian side Edo Queens.

·      CBE’s 3-0 loss to Edo Queens in their opening game was the biggest loss for a team from the CECAFA region in their first game at the finals.

·      All three of the CECAFA regions previous qualifiers have won their second group game after beginning with a loss.

·      In 2021, Kenyan side Vihiga Queens lost their opening game to Sundowns but bounced back and defeated AS FAR 2-0 in their second game. They lost their third game against Rivers Angels of Nigeria.

·      In 2022, Simba Queens lost their first game against AS FAR 1-0, but won their next two against Determine Girls and Green Buffaloes to reach the last four.

·      In 2023, JKT Queens lost their opening game against Sundowns but won their second game against hosts Athletico Abidjan.

·      One other debutant has failed to win their opening game and progressed beyond the group stages, this was SC Casablanca who drew their first game in 2023 against Athletico Abidjan and were eventual runners up.

·      In their opening game loss to Edo Queens, Tariuka Balcha goalkeeper of CBE faced six shots making three saves, the second most number of saves made by a goalkeeper on match day one.

·      In their opening game, CBE’s Tarikuwa Yukura had 63 touches which was the most of any of her teammates.

·      In their opening game CBE’s Emebet Adisu completed 42 passes, the most of any of her teammates. 

AS FAR showcased an impressive comeback to defeat TP Mazembe 3-1 in a high-intensity CAF Women’s Champions League encounter at the Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi in El Jadida on Tuesday.

The Moroccan side fought back after conceding an early goal to secure all three points in the Group A match, in front of their home crowd and move to six points.

The match began with TP Mazembe taking the lead in the 11th minute, as Elena Nkuandum found the net following a VAR review, finishing a close-range shot into the bottom corner after an assist from Merveille Kanjinga.

Mazembe’s early pressure seemed to have caught FAR Rabat off guard, and they controlled much of the early exchanges.

However, FAR Rabat regrouped after the break, equalizing in the 50th minute through a superb header from Doha El Madani, who directed Safa Banouk’s cross into the top corner.

This goal ignited the Moroccan side’s confidence, and just two minutes later, Sanaâ Mssoudy put them ahead with a precise left-footed finish to the bottom corner after receiving a well-timed pass from Doha El Madani.

The hosts continued to pile on the pressure, and in the 58th minute, Mssoudy struck again, extending AS FAR’s lead to 3-1 with a clinical finish from close range, capitalizing on a cross from Zineb Erroudany.

Despite Mazembe’s attempts to rally, including a missed penalty by Telma Baffour in the 83rd minute, they could not break through FAR Rabat’s sturdy defence.

FAR Rabat’s spirited comeback against TP Mazembe underscores their potential as a strong contender in the CAF Women’s Champions League, leaving the home fans hopeful for the remainder of the tournament.

The result sees the hosts top Group A, with Mazembe tied on 3 points with University of the Western Cape Ladies who won their match against Aigles De La Medina earlier in the day. 

The four teams will be back in action for their final Group A fixtures on Friday evening to determine who advances to the semi-finals. 

Aigles De La Medina takes on the wounded Mazembe, while UWC Ladies face a AS FAR side that already has one foot into the semi-finals. 

Both matches kick-off at 19h00 Local Time.

The University of the Western Cape boosted their chances of progression in the CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024, after a hard-fought 2-0 win over Aigles De La Medina in a Group A clash on Tuesday afternoon in El Jadida.

Two second half goals by Molatelo Kobo and Ntombifikile Ndlovu were enough to see the South Africans secure their first win of the competition in a result that significantly increases their chances of progression ahead of their final match against hosts, AS FAR.

Both sides came into the clash desperate for a win following disappointing results in their respective opening Group A matches.

UWC were subjected to a 2-0 defeat by TP Mazembe, while Aigles suffered a crushing 3-0 loss to AS FAR on Saturday.

With zero points to their name, both sides came out firing off their starting blocks with an all-out attack from the first whistle.

Despite having a go at each other, both teams failed to break the deadlock in the opening half, with most efforts failing to find the target.

It was the South Africans who found the opener five minutes into the second half after substitute, Molatelo Kobo’s persistence in the danger area resulted in a defensive error, of which she pounced on to convert from close range.

Momentum shifted to the South Africans who continued piling on the pressure for the second goal to come, courtesy of a clever chip by the skilful Ntombifikile Ndlovu who made it two for the University side in the 66th minute.

The Senegalese side tried getting back into the match but were denied by the reflexes of goalkeeper, Thandeka Ngcobo who kept a historic clean sheet for her side.