Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi heaped special praise on the Masawandana Women's team for their inaugural CAF Women's Champions League title success.
The Sundowns Women's team matched their male counterparts' achievements back in 2016 when they defeated Hasaacas Ladies from Ghana 2-0 in Cairo on Friday evening. Sundowns are now the only club in Africa to lift both the Men's and Women's CAF Champions League titles.
“We’re ecstatic because these ladies have done very well, they won the championship last year without losing a match in South Africa. They did very well throughout the Cosafa, they have always been strong so they deserve this and they worked very hard and they were very clinical," Mngqithi said.
“They did not get too many chances in that match but they buried the few that they got and we must give them credit for that and we are very excited as the Sundowns family."
The Chloorkop outfit are certainly the flagbearers in South African - and now African - football too with Mngqithi's team maintaining their record-breaking unbeaten start to the 2021-22 Dtsv Premiership season on Saturday in Cape Town.
Although they were unable to claim all three points at the DHL Stadium, the Brazilians kept a clean sheet against a high-quality Cape Town City outfit.
"I’m never satisfied with a point but it was a very good match. They gave a very good account of themselves," Mngqithi said.
“We played against a very good team, people must never take this team for granted, it’s a very good team and to come back with a point because there were stages in the match where they threatened us more especially on transitions.
Let’s hear what the Champions have to say about their glorious moment of being winners for the inaugural #TotalEnergiesCAFWCL Champions. #SundownsLadies #Sundowns pic.twitter.com/I6CgkMh1ff
— Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Team (@SundownsLadies) November 20, 2021
“They had Fagrie [Lakay] looking for possibilities and overloading the ball side so a point, not satisfied but I respect the fact that I also got a point and a clean sheet because we were playing against a very good team,” he added.
The Citizens certainly pressed Sundowns into a more defensive game than normal by flooding the midfield, although Heshaam Domingo deserves plenty of credit for battling away for the Brazilians to claim the Player of the Match award.
Mngqithi acknowledged that they had met worthy opponents in Eric Tinkler's City outfit.
“One thing you must give credit to, probably for both teams because these turnovers you are talking about were a result of counter-pressing from both teams," he said.
“Both groups in the midfield worked very hard to make sure that they stabilise each other and at times the tempo of the game was a little bit faster that’s why there were a lot of mistakes from time to time.
“But generally like I said we were playing against a very good team and this team deserve a bit of respect too.
“I think we had some moments first half on the wing play more especially on Divine Lunga on the left channel and I think there we weren’t decisive enough and clinical enough and those moments in as much as they were few and far between but those moments could’ve decided the game."
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