* Wrap it up with best player of the tournament, best goalkeeper and top goalscorer with five goals
* Set a record of lifting the title without conceding a single goal enroute to glory including win over defending champions
Maravi Express
Just a week after South Africa Premier League side, Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned the first-ever African Football League (AFL) champions, their women’s side has also clinched a continental title, the CAF Women’s Champions League after beating Morocco’s SC Casablanca 3-0 in Sunday’s final.
Inaugural champions African Football League
Interestingly, both the men’s and women’s sides beat Moroccan sides when the men were victors over Wydad Casablanca while the women saw off two Moroccans teams, defending champions AS FAR and SC Casablanca.
A report by CAFonline says a brace from top scorer Tholakele Refilwe and Boitumelo Rabale’s strike earned the South Africans victory in Côte d’Ivoire as they reclaimed the title they relinquished last year.
The South Africans’ impressive run in Cote d’Ivoire not only sees them reclaim the title they lost to AS FAR last season, but they set a record of lifting the title without conceding a single goal enroute to glory.
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Boitumelo Rabale was named best player of the tournament after playing an instrumental role in guiding her side to the finals of the competition while Andile Dlamini — after keeping five clean sheets across all matches — walked away with the goalkeeper of the tournament award. Dlamini was also voted 2022 CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year accolade.
The top goalscorer of the tournament was awarded to Tholakele Refilwe for her total of five goals and in capping what has been an impressive performance by the South Africans, the tournament’s fair play team was awarded to Mamelodi Sundowns — who not only won the tournament, but displayed great sportsmanship throughout the competition.
The historic win was achieved at a packed Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on Sunday evening, where a brace by the tournament’s top goalscorer, Tholakele Refilwe accompanied by a Boitumelo Rabale strike saw the South Africans crowned champions.
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This was the second meeting for the two sides in the tournament after meeting in the group stages where Sundowns emerged 1-0 victors and with a clear mission of reclaiming the title, Sundowns wasted no time in getting numbers forward and were rewarded in the 21st minute when Refilwe converted a penalty in the 21st minute.
Minutes later, Rabale fired the South Africans to a two-goal lead before the break from the edge of the box with a clinical finish that found the bottom corner.
Coming back from the recess, the Moroccans tried getting back into the contest but were met by a resolute Sundowns defense that frustrated each of their attacks.
With momentum on their side, the South Africans put the cherry on top with Tholakele’s 78th minute finish to officially put the match beyond reach for the Moroccans and seal a second CAF Women’s Champions League title for Sundowns, which is accompanied by a $400,000 winner’s prize cheque.
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Sundowns coach Jerry Tshabalala said after the match: “When you see me happy, I try to rub it onto my players. A happy player will always deliver results for the team.
“We want to keep on doing good. Now the target, we are hoping that one day we will have a (Women’s) Club World Cup and we will go represent as the African champions.”
His counterpart, Mehdi El Qaichori said: “It was a good experience from the team. I want to congratulate Mamelodi Sundowns for the win. They played very well today and were the better team. This was a great tournament which is also good for women’s football in Africa.”
Road to glory:
Group Stage
Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 JKT Queens
Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 SC Casablanca
Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 Athletico Abidjan
Semifinals
Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 AS FAR
Final
Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 SC Casablanca—Info from CAFonline
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