2023 CAFWCL Mamelodi Sundowns Vs Sporting CasablThis is the first game between Mamelodi Sundowns and Sporting Casablanca.
While Mamelodi Sundowns are facing Sporting Casablanca for the first time they will be up against Moroccan opponents for the third time.
Sundowns have faced AS FAR the defending champions twice previously in their other clashes against Moroccan opponents at the finals.
In their previous two games against Moroccan opposition Sundowns are winless, in the 2021 Group Stages against AS FAR Sundowns drew their final group game against them 0-0. In the 2022 final they lost 4-0 to AS FAR their biggest and only loss to date in the competition.
In only three games at the finals have Sundowns failed to score two games were against Moroccan opponents AS FAR, the other was against Equatorial Guinean side Malabo Kings in the 2021 Semi-final a game they won on penalties.
In games between Moroccan clubs and teams from Southern Africa the Moroccan clubs are undefeated (W2 D1), in addition to AS FAR’s two games against Sundowns. They also defeated Zambian outfit Green Buffaloes in the group stages in 2022.
SC Casablanca will become the third North African club that Sundowns will take on in their fourth match against UNAF opponents, in addition to games against AS FAR their other game was a 5-0 group stage win over Wadi Degla of Egypt in 2022. Current Sundowns squad members Melinda Kgadiete and Boitumelo Rabale scored their second and fifth goals in the game.
Mamelodi Sundowns
Start the current edition with a 2-0 win over JKT Queens of Tanzania.
The game against JKT Queens saw Sundowns continue their run of winning their opening game at the finals, in 2021 they started with a 1-0 win over another East African team Kenyan outfit Vihiga Queens. While in 2022 they started off with a 2-1 win over Bayelsa Queens of Nigeria.
Sundowns have now won both of their games against East African clubs at the finals without conceding a goal.
Sundowns remains undefeated in seven group games at the finals, the game against JKT Queens was their sixth win. They have drawn one other group game against AS FAR in 2021.
The win over JKT Queens was Sundowns eighth win in open play in their eleventh game at the finals.
During the win over JKT Queens Sundowns managed to keep their ninth clean-sheet at the finals, in what was their eleventh game in the competition.
Sundowns at the finals have managed to keep six clean-sheets in their seven group games. They have only conceded once in a group game at the finals which was during their 2-1 opening game win in 2022 over Nigeria team Bayelsa Queens.
At the previous two finals in 2021 and 2022 Sundowns managed to open with back to back wins, in 2021 they defeated Rivers Angels of Nigeria 1-0 and in 2022 they recorded their biggest ever win at the finals a 5-0 win over Egyptian side Wadi Degla in their second group games.
Against JKT Queens Sundowns managed to win the game by two goals it was the fourth time at the finals that they had managed to win a game by two or more goals.
Lebogang Ramlepe and Refilwe Tholekele were on target for Sundowns in their opening game win over JKT Queens, they became the 11th and 12th different players to score for Sundowns at the CAFWCL. Sundowns have scored a total of 18 goals in 11 games at the finals.
Sundowns in their opening game win over JKT Queens had a total of 467 passes, 384 of which found their intended recipient. They had a passing accuracy of 82.2%.
In their opening game Sundowns managed 45 crosses while their opponents could only manage 6.
During the win over JKT Queens Nonhlanhla Mthnadi had a game high 76 touches for Sundowns with a passing accuracy of 91.1%.
Scorer of Sundowns first goal Lebogang Ramalepe had two shots on target in the game scoring with one.
Sundowns Refilwe Tholakele scorer of their second goal, scored with her only shot on target in the game. She attempted a total of 7 shots at goal.
Chuene Morifi and Zanele Nhlapho kept up their 100% appearance record for Sundowns at the finals, the pair have now appeared in all 11 games that Sundowns have played in. They have started each of these games.
Lerato Kgasago and Melinda Kgadiete who came on as substitutes in the win against JKT Queens appeared at their third finals for Sundowns, Kgadiete made her 10th appearance at the competition, while Kgasago was appearing in her 11th game and made just her second appearance as a substitute.
Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini joined the elite list of players to feature at their third finals for Sundowns when she made her 8th appearance at the competition and kept a clean-sheet in the opening game victory.
SC Casablanca
Began with a 1-1 draw against hosts Athletico Abidjan in their opening Group A game.
Captain N’ Guessan Koffi scored SC Casablanca’s first goal at the finals when they leveled for them in the 81st minute of their opening game draw, scoring against a club from her home country.
Koffi became the first player to score for a team outside of her home country against a team from her home country at the finals when she netted for SC Casablanca against Athletico Abidjan.
Koffi is the second player from the Cote d’ Ivoire to score for a club from outside the Cote d’ Ivoire at the finals, Stephanie Gbogou scored three goals for Malabo Kings of Equatorial Guinea when they finished fourth in 2021.
With SC Casablanca drawing their opening game it was the first time a Moroccan club at the finals failed to win their first game, in 2021 and 2022 AS FAR had begun with victories. They are also the first Moroccan club to concede a goal in their first game at the finals. AS FAR had kept clean-sheets in their opening game in 2021 and 2022.
SC Casablanca are the first team from North Africa to fail to win their first game at the finals in 2021 hosts club Wadi Degla of Egypt and AS FAR both won their opening games.
SC Casablanca managed just three touches in the opposition box in their opening game draw, compared to 19 which their opponents managed in their 18 yard area.
SC Casablanca goalkeeper Imane Abdelahad made seven saves in their opening game against Athletico Abidjan she faced 8 shots and had a saves success rate of 87.5%. By comparison the opposition goalkeeper Cynthia Djohore faced just four shots and made three saves.
Two members of the current SC Casablanca squad goalkeeper Imane Abdelahad and Chaymaa Mourtaji, were part of the Moroccan national women’s team squad that lost to South Africa in the 2022 WAFCON Final. They did not feature in the game which saw current Sundowns members Andile Dlamini, Lebohang Ramalepe and Kharabo Dhlamini start the game while Melinda Kgadiete and Kholosa Biyana appeared as a substitutes. As Banyana Banyana emerged 2-1 winners in Rabat.
Tags: CAFWCL Mamelodi Sundowns Sporting Casablanca
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