Defending champions Green Buffaloes and Botswana’s Double Action Ladies took a step towards the semi-finals of the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers on day three of the tournament in eThekwini on Friday.
Both sides registered narrow 1-0 victories over Ntopwa FC and Lesotho’s Defence Force respectively in their second Group A matches.
At the start of the day all the teams in the pool had a point each going into the games under gloomy skies at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.
The Zambian side enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but were not clinical in the final third until Maweta Chilenga scored the first and only goal of the match in the opening half.
It is the 20-year-old midfielder’s first Champions League qualifiers with the side after signing from Bauleni United Sports Academy (BUSA) before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Earlier in a game that didn’t produce many chances, Double Action, who had the better of the opportunities, were rewarded for their persistence as substitute Leungo Senwelo scored the only goal of the game in the second half.
The result sees Buffaloes and Double Action topping the group with four points each, while the Defence Force and the debutants dropped to third and fourth places with a point each respectively ahead of the deciding Group matches.
The top two sides in the Groups at the qualifiers will advance to the semi-finals on 4 September with only one team going to the continental finals in the Ivory Coast in November this year.
Saturday’s action sees Mamelodi Sundowns take on Young Buffaloes from Eswatini at 15h30 CAT, while before that Olympic de Moroni of Comoros clash with Costa do Sol from Mozambique at 12h00 CAT.
Sundowns and Costa do Sol both won their opening games and will seal a semifinal place if they notch up another success each.
Entrance for fans to all matches will be FREE of charge, with tickets available at the stadium on match day. They are limited to four per person. You can view all of the fixtures here.
If you cannot get to the stadium, you can watch all matches streamed LIVE on FIFA+. Games will also be carried on SuperSport.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
Group A – Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium
Double Action Ladies 1 (Senwelo 58′) Lesotho Defence Force 0
Green Buffaloes 1 (Chilenga 26′) Ntopwa FC 0
SATURDAY’S FIXTURES
Group B – Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium
Olympic de Moroni vs Costa do Sol (KO 12h00; 10h00 GMT)
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Young Buffaloes (KO 15h30; 13h30 GMT)
GROUP STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Double Action | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Green Buffaloes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Lesotho Defence Force | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| Ntopwa FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Mamelodi Sundowns | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| Costa do Sol | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Young Buffaloes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| Olympic de Moroni | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 0 |
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 6
Goals scored: 17
Biggest victory: Mamelodi Sundowns 8 Olympic de Moroni 0 (Group B, August 31)
Most goals in a game: 8 – Mamelodi Sundowns 8 Olympic de Moroni 0 (Group B, August 31)
GOALSCORERS
2 goals – Tiisetso Makhubela (Mamelodi Sundowns)
1 – Vanessa Chikupila (Ntopwa FC), Maweta Chilenga (Green Buffaloes), Marlene Janeiro (Costa do Sol), Gabonnelwe Kekana (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siomala Mapepa (Green Buffaloes), Miche Minnies (Mamelodi Sundowns), Maseriti Mohlolo (Lesotho Defence Force), Chuene Morifi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Amanda Mthandi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Tenanile Ngcamphalala (Young Buffaloes), Albertina Pondja (Costa do Sol), Boitumelo Rabale (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lesego Radiakanyo (Double Action), Leungo Senwelo (Double Action), Refilwe Tholakele (Mamelodi Sundowns)
