Mamelodi Sundowns secured their position at the top of African women’s football by defeating Morocco’s SC Casablanca 3-0 in the CAF Women’s Champions League final in Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday.
Tholakele Refilwe’s two goals and Boitumelo Rabale’s strike led to the South African team reclaiming the title they lost the previous year. Notably, their successful campaign in Cote d’Ivoire included a remarkable achievement of winning the championship without conceding a single goal.
The historic victory took place at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo, where a packed audience witnessed Tholakele Refilwe’s brace and Boitumelo Rabale’s contribution, resulting in a 3-0 victory over Morocco’s SC Casablanca in the final—a rematch of their earlier group stage encounter, which Sundowns had won 1-0.
“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”, said Mehdi El Qaichori, SC Casablanca coach.
Sundowns, with a clear mission to reclaim the title, swiftly took control, with Refilwe converting a penalty in the 21st minute. Rabale extended the lead with a clinical finish from the edge of the box before halftime.
Sundowns coach Jerry Tshabalala: “When you see me happy, I try to rub it onto my players. A happy player will always dliver 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.”
Despite the Moroccans attempting a comeback after the break, Sundowns’ solid defense thwarted every effort. Tholakele’s 78th-minute goal sealed the victory and secured a second CAF Women’s Champions League title for Sundowns, along with a $400,000 winner’s prize and other awards.
