Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are gearing up for the prestigious Women’s Cup, which takes place from 14-17 August in the United States.
The Continental Champions have been in fine form in the Hollywoodbets Super League, winning their last six games and 17 out of 20 games played this season.
Earlier this week, the Brazilians participated in a warm-up fixture against Botswana’s Gaborone United Ladies, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Tshwane giants, with Nthabiseng Majiya scoring the goal.
Coach Jerry Tshabalala believes the mood in camp is positive and looks forward to the upcoming tournament: “We need to build up to this tournament with good results and we have done that with strong performances in the league as well as the victory against the team from Botswana. As a technical team, we have managed to achieve what we wanted from the players.”
Banyana Ba Style will face Kansas City Current on 14 August, while Atletico de Madrid will take on Kobe in the tournament’s opener. The winners will compete for the Championship Title on the 17th, with the third-place match also taking place that same day.
Ahead of the fixture against Kansas City, Coach Jerry believes the team is determined to rise to the occasion and deliver a performance that reflects their true potential.
“We have had the opportunity to watch some of their games and they play a style similar to ours. So, we have to be at our best against them. However, we do not want to focus too much on them because we have our strengths. We have been given the opportunity to go out there and showcase African football and demonstrate why we are the African champions. It is my duty as a coach to calm the players down so that they do not get overwhelmed by the stage and all that,” Coach Tshabalala added.
The Sundowns Ladies coach believes his team will not just be playing for the badge, but also for the inspiration of future generations: “This tournament is important not only for Sundowns Ladies and South Africa, but also for younger players who will be motivated by our performance. They could see this and say, ‘I need to take my career seriously—one day, I could be playing on a global stage.’ Therefore, we must go out there, leave our mark and serve as a source of motivation for aspiring footballers.”