PublishedSaturday, 04 November 2023

Head to head

This will be the first meeting between JKT Queens and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.

While the teams are meeting for the first time this will be Mamelodi Sundowns second meeting at the finals against Tanzanian opponents.

Sundowns previous clash against Tanzanian opponents saw them defeat JKT Queens rivals Simba SC in the Semi-finals in THE 2022 edition, Boitumelo Rabale set up by Melinda Kgadiete scored the game’s only goal in the 76^th minute to send Sundowns to their second successive final.

This will be the third time a club from Tanzania meets a team from the COSAFA region at the CAFWCL finals, in 2022 Simba SC in addition to their Semi-final loss against Sundowns they defeated Green Buffaloes of Zambia 2-0 in their final group game.

For Sundowns this is their third clash with East African opponents they faced Vihiga Queens of Kenya in their first ever game at the finals in 2021, Melinda Kgadiete scored the game’s only goal in the 4^th minute for a 1-0 triumph.

Sundowns have won both their previous clashes against East African opponents without conceding a goal.

JKT Queens

Are Tanzania’s second representative at the finals.

Tanzania will have a representative for the second successive finals after Simba Queens who ended fourth in the 2022 edition in Morocco.

Won the CECAFA Qualifiers to reach this stage, defeated AS Kigali of Rwanda, New Generation FC of Zanzibar and 2021 WCL Qualifiers Vihiga Queens of Kenya to progress top of their group.

Overcame Burundi’s Buja Queens in the last four and defeated CBE FC of Ethiopia on penalties in the final to qualify for the first time.

Scored seven goals in the Qualifiers with five players getting onto the scoresheet were also the beneficiaries of an own goal.

Situmai Abdallah was voted the Most Valuable player from the qualifiers and Njiat Idrisa was named best goalkeeper.

Tanzania with a second representative at the finals becomes the fifth country along with Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Morocco and Nigeria to have more than one club represent them at the finals.

At the 2022 edition of the tournament Tanzania’s representative Simba Queens began with a 1-0 loss to eventual champions AS FAR in Group A, they then recovered to win 2-0 against Determine Girls of Liberia and Green Buffaloes of Zambia to progress as group runners up to the last four.

Simba SC in 2022 lost to Sundowns in the last four and Bayelsa Queens of Nigeria in the play-off for third.

All of Simba’s five games at the 2022 edition produced a winner, in these games only the winning team scored. No game at the finals involving a Tanzanian team has seen both teams score.

Sundowns 

Winners of the inaugural edition in 2021 and runners up in 2022 Sundowns will be aiming to reach their third final.

Sundowns will be opening up an CAFWCL campaign against East African opposition for the second time, they began their inaugural campaign in 2021 with a 1-0 win over Vihiga Queens of Kenya.

This game is Sundowns 11^th at the finals and JKT Queens becomes the 10^th different team they will be meeting, the only team that they have faced more than once are current reigning champions AS FAR of Morocco who they met in the 2021 Group Stages and 2022 Final.

Tanzania becomes the second country at the finals that Sundowns will face two different teams from, they have faced two clubs from Nigeria in 2021 they faced Rivers Angels and in 2022 they came up against Bayelsa Queens they won both of those games.

Sundowns have always won their opening game at the finals they defeated Vihiga Queens of Kenya in their opening game in 2021, while in 2022 they began with a 2-1 win over Bayelsa Queens of Nigeria. Lelona Daweti scored a brace as the defending champions started with a  win.

Sundowns group stage record at the finals reads P6 W5 D1 L0.

Sundowns have never lost a group game at the finals they have won five of their previous six games, drawing the other one. In 2021 they defeated Vihiga Queens and Rivers Angels both 1-0 before a 0-0 draw with AS FAR. In 2022 they won all three of their group games starting with a 2-1 win over Bayelsa Queens, then a 5-0 triumph over Wadi Degla and a 4-0 victory of TP Mazembe.

Over their previous six group stage games Sundowns have kept five clean-sheets, they have scored 13 goals and conceded just two.

Sundowns had scored just two goals in the group stage in 2021, they had a marked improvement in 2022 scored 11 goals while conceding just one goal.

Overall in 10 games at the finals Sundowns have failed to win in open play just three games, two games against AS FAR in 2021 in the group stage a 0-0 stalemate and a 4-0 defeat in the final in 2022. While they did manage to defeat Malabo Kings on penalties in 2021 in the last four after the game ended 0-0.

Sundowns of their 10 games at the finals they have managed to win seven in open play, they have drawn two and have just one loss in open play against AS FAR in the 2022 Final.

Sundowns have managed to keep eight clean-sheets in 10 games at the final, they have only ever conceded in two games, during their 2-1 win over Bayelsa Queens in their opening game in 2022 and their loss to AS FAR in the final in 2022.

Sundowns have scored a total of 16 goals in 10 games at the finals while conceding just 5.

Sundowns seven wins at the finals in open play is the joint most wins by in the competitions history along with AS FAR who also have seven victories in open play.

Sundowns at the 2022 edition of the finals fielded 22 players only Miche Desiree Minnies did not feature for them.

At the 2022 edition of the finals Sundowns had 9 players who featured in all of their matches, these players are

Nine players featured in all of Sundowns five games at the last tournament in 2022, they are Lelona Daweti, Melinda Kgadiete, Lerato Kgasago, Bambanani Mbane, Chuene Precious Morifi, Nonhlanhla Mthandi, Zanele Portia Nhlapho, Boitumelo Joyce Rabale, Thalea Smidt.

At the 2022 AFWCL Bambani Mbane was the only player to start and finish all five of five Sundowns games, while Lelona Daweti, Chuene Precious Morifi and Boitumelo Joyce Rabale are the only other players who started all five of their games at the 2022 edition.

Sundowns scored 12 goals at the last edition of the tournament in 2022, they had six players find the back of the net for them with Lelona Daweti top scoring with four goals.

Sundowns biggest win at the finals was a 5-0 triumph over Wadi Degla in their second group game in 2022.

Melinda Kgadiete made the most goal contributions for Sundowns at the 2022 Finals, managing to score two goals and she also made three assists.

Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini has played a total of 7 games across two finals competitions in 2021 and 2022 she has kept a total of 5 clean-sheets, she did not concede a goal at the 2021 finals in three games, in four games in 2022 she kept two clean-sheets and conceded one goal in Sundowns opening game win over Bayelsa Queens and four in the final against AS FAR.

Melinda Kgadiete will be looking to score at her third finals for Sundowns having done so in 2021 and 2022.

Bambanani Mbane has featured in all 10 of Sundowns games at the CAFWCL, she is not part of the squad for the current edition.

Sundowns top scorer from the 2022 tournament with four goals Lelona Daweti is injured and will miss the finals.

There are ten players Lerato Kgasago, Andisiwe Mgcoyi, Chuene Precious Morifi, Nonhlanhla Mthandi, Zanele Nhlapho, Melinda Kgadiete, Oratile Dikgosi Mokwena, Andile Dlamini, Boitumelo Joyce Rabale and Khunjolwa Mali in the current Sundowns squad who won the tournament in 2021.

There are eleven players Lerato Kgasago, Melinda Kgadiete, Chuene Precious Morifi, Andisiwe Mgcoyi, Andile Dlamini, Nonhlanhla Mthandi, Oratile Dikgosi Mokwena, Regina Keresi Mogolola, Karabo Makhurubetshi, Zanele Nhlapho and Boitumelo Rabale in Sundowns current squad who ended up as runners up in 2022.

Khunjolwa Mali was a member of the Sundowns squad in 2021 when they won the title but did not feature in any games. She was not part of the squad that ended as runners up in 2022.