Double Action Ladies from Botswana sealed second position in Group A at the 2021 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers to earn a place in the semifinals following an emphatic 6-0 victory over Lesotho Defence Force on Monday.
They join Mamelodi Sundowns in the Last 4, with the latter having already been assured of their spot before the 6-1 victory over Manzini Wanderers in a game that was played simultaneously.
It means Sundowns top the pool with a full haul of nine points, followed by Double Action on six, while LDF and Wanderers have a single point each from their draw on Saturday.
Double Action may have been feeling some nerves going into their clash with Lesotho Defence Force, but knew they needed just a draw to advance to the semifinals.
They need not have worried as they raced into a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes and never looked back.
Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse put them ahead early in the game, before the impressive Lesego Radiakanyo added a second. Bonang Otlhagile and Lone Kgalaeng scored two more and the job was done before the halftime break.
Radiakanyo added a fifth on 75 minutes, but Kgalaeng missed a penalty in the dying minutes, though Lesego Pineng did make it six with a breakaway goal.
Sundowns had already sealed top spot in the pool before their clash with Wanderers, who themselves had an outside chance of making the semifinals.
But The Brazilians’ were ruthless in the first half as they took a 3-0 lead, with Chantelle Esau grabbing a brace, the first from the penalty-spot.
Lelona Daweti also got two in the game as she moved to three for the competition, while Thembelihle Masibi was also on target in another rampant performance from the South African side.
Sundowns finally conceded in the tournament when Nomvula Sanga scored her second of the competition for Wanderers having grabbed a late equaliser on Saturday against Lesotho Defence Force.
But Sundowns scored a sixth goal for the third time in as many games, with Khunjolwa Mali on target.
Group B will be completed on Tuesday, with Black Rhinos Queens having already secured top spot in the pool.
That has left Green Buffaloes from Zambia and Namibia’s TURA Magic to fight it out for second place in a winner-takes-all contest that kicks off at 14h00 CAT.
Buffaloes need only a draw to advance, given that they have a slighter better goal-difference. Both sides have lost to Queens, but while Buffaloes went down 2-0, Magic lost 3-0 and so are a goal worse off.
The top two teams in each of the groups advance to the semifinals, which will be played on Thursday.
You can follow all the games live on www.cosafa.tv and on SABC Sports Channel on Openview.
MONDAY’S RESULTS
Group A
Lesotho Defence Force 0 Double Action 6 (Ontlametse 3′, Radiakanyo 14′, 75’, Otlhagile 27’, Kgalaeng 40′, Pineng 90’)
Mamelodi Sundowns 6 (Esau 10′, 27′, Daweti 35′, 56’, Masibi 52’, Mali 72’) Manzini Wanderers 1 (Sanga 67’)
TUESDAY’S FIXTURE
Group B
Green Buffaloes vs TURA Magic (KO 14h00; 12h00 GMT)
GROUP STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Mamelodi Sundowns (Q) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 9 |
| Double Action (Q) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Manzini Wanderers | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 1 |
| Lesotho Defence Force | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13 | -12 | 1 |
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Black Rhinos Queens (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| Green Buffaloes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| TURA Magic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 8
Goals scored: 35
Biggest victory: Mamelodi Sundowns 6 Lesotho Defence Force 0 (Group A, August 26); Mamelodi Sundowns 6 Double Action 0 (Group A, August 28); Lesotho Defence Force 0 Double Action 6 (Group A, August 30)
Most goals in a game: 7 – Mamelodi Sundowns 6 Manzini Wanderers 1 (Group A, August 30)
GOALSCORERS
4 goals – Melinda Kgadiete (Mamelodi Sundowns), Andisiwe Mgcoyi (Mamelodi Sundowns)
3 – Lelona Daweti (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lesego Radiakanyo (Double Action)
2 – Chantelle Esau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Cristobel Katona (Black Rhinos Queens), Rutendo Makore (Black Rhinos Queens), Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse (Double Action), Nomvula Sanga (Manzini Wanderers)
1 – Lone Kgalaeng (Double Action), Kholu Lebakeng (Lesotho Defence Force), Khunjolwa Mali (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thembelihle Masibi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Laone Moloi (Double Action), Rhoda Mulaudzi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Zanele Nhlapho (Mamelodi Sundowns), Marjory Nyaumwe (Black Rhinos Queens), Bonang Otlhagile (Double Action), Lesego Pineng (Double Action), Boitumelo Rabale (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Double Action Ladies affrontera les Black Rhinos en demie
Après les Mamelodi Sundowns, c’était au tour de Double Action Ladies de composter leur billet pour la demi-finale dans l’édition 2021 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifier qui se déroule actuellement à Durban.
Les Botswanaises sont sorties de la poule A lundi en venant facilement à bout de Lesotho Defence Force (6-0). Les Sundowns, déjà qualifiées, ont, elles, pris le meilleur sur Manzini Wanderers (6-1).
Ce fut une promenade de santé pour les deux premiers du groupe A. Double Action Ladies a notamment pu compter sur le doublé de Radiakanhyo pour faire la différence. Cette dernière s’est illustrée à la 14e et 72e minute. Avant elle, l’intenable Ontlametse avait débloqué la situation dès la 3e minute.
C’est la deuxième réalisation de l’avant-centre du Double Action Ladies dans ce tournoi. Peu avant la demi-heure de jeu, Otlhagile y est aussi allé de son petit but. Kgalaeng et Pineng ont aussi trouvé le chemin des filets pour offrir un large succès aux Botswanaises. Elles terminent deuxième de la poule A avec six points au compteur et rejoignent le dernier carré. Elles y affronteront Black Rhinos Queens.
Dans l’autre rencontre, les Mamelodi Sundowns n’ont jamais été inquiétées. Elles ont aisément disposé de Manzini Wanderers 6-1. Eseau a ouvert les hostilités pour les Sud-Africaines à la 10e minute. Elle a récidivé à la 27e minute. Daweti a vu double elle aussi en marquant à la 35e et 56e minute. Masibi (52e) et Mali (72e) ont inscrit leur nom sur la feuille de match alors qu’en face, le but de Sanga ne fut qu’anecdotique. Les Mamelodi devront patienter jusqu’à cet après-midi pour connaître leur adversaire en demi.
Le dernier match du groupe B est programmé pour ce mardi. Il verra Green Buffaloes croiser le fer avec TURA Magic à 14h. Il n’y a qu’une seule place à prendre pour le dernier carré et le ticket sera âprement disputé entre ces deux équipes. Concernant Black Rhinos Queens, la phase de groupe s’est résumée en une petite balade avec notamment cinq buts inscrits pour zéro concédé. Les reines du Zimbabwe ont assuré leur qualification dimanche.
Green Buffaloes et TURA Magic n’ont toujours pas débloqué leur compteur dans la compétition. Elles n’ont inscrit aucun but ce qui fait qu’elles n’ont toujours pas récolté le moindre point jusqu’ici. Les deux formations sont au bord de l’élimination et seule la victoire pourra les permettre de poursuivre l’aventure.
Les rencontres du dernier carré sont programmées pour le jeudi est 2 septembre. Tous les matchs sont à suivre sur www.cosafa.tv et sur la chaine sportive de SABC à travers Openview.
Conhecidas as semifinalistas da “Champions” feminina!
Já são conhecidos os semifinalistas que irão disputar as eliminatórias regionais de acesso à primeira edição da TotalEnergies Liga dos Campeões Africanos em futebol feminino, que se joga na cidade sul-africana de Durban desde o dia 26 de Agosto e que deverá terminar no dia 4 de Setembro.
Com efeito, a equipa do Black Rhino Queens (Zimbabwe), melhor classificada do Grupo “B” enfrentará as representantes Double Action Ladies (Botswana), segunda melhor classificada da série “A”, nesta quinta-feira, dia 2 de Setembro, no King Zwelithini Stadium, pelas 11.00 horas.
Entretanto, o Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (África do Sul), primeira classificada no Grupo “A”, medirá forças com o segundo melhor classificado do Grupo “B”, que será conhecido amanhã, no jogo que colocará frente-a-frente, o Green Buffaloes (Zâmbia) e o Tura Magic (Namíbia), quando for 14.00 horas, no Estádio King Zwelithini.
Para chegarem a esta fase, as sul-africanas frágil fizeram o pleno vencendo os três jogos que tiveram pela frente, primeiro com Lesotho Defense Force (6-0), seguindo depois o Double Action Ladies, que também sofreu pelo mesmo resultado e, para na variar, as treinadas de Agnes Nkosi cilindraram a simpática Manzini Wanderers (Eswatini), por 6-1, assumindo a liderança isolada com nove pontos.
Já o Double Action Ladies, apesar de ter sofrido uma derrota, na segunda jornada conseguiu recuperar o fôlego e garantir a sua presença nas “meias”, vencendo na terceira e última jornada da fase de grupos Lesotho Defence por claros 6-0.
O mesmo se pode dizer do Black Rhino Queens (Zimbabwe), que venceu os dois jogos da fase do Grupo “B” terminando a mesma com seis pontos, uma vez que esta série é composta apenas por três equipas, dada a ausência do Clube de Desportos da Costa de Sol (Moçambique), que por razões burocráticas ficou de fora. A fechar com chave-de-ouro, as zimbabueanas venceram, na terça-feira as namibianas (Tuura Magic ) por 3-0.
Segundo o regulamento, as duas primeiras classificadas de cada grupo apuram-se para a segunda fase, a eliminar, indo directamente para as meias-finais, de uma única mão e em sistema cruzado, em que o primeiro de um grupo enfrentará o segundo do outro.
Os vencedores das meias-finais seguem para a final na qual o vencedor será o representante da região da África Austral (COSAFA), na primeira edição da Liga dos Campeões Africanos em futebol feminino, cuja fase sinal terá lugar este ano no Egipto.
Participam ao todo sete equipas a destacar: Black Rhino Queens (Zimbabwe). Double Action (Botswama), Manzini Wanderers (Eswatini), Lesotho Defense (Lesotho), Turu Magic (Namíbia), Green Buffalos (Zâmbia) e Mamelodi Sundowns (África do Sul)
