Sundowns face debutants test

Kabelo Boranabi | Tuesday August 18, 2026 10:06

The tournament, which runs from August 20 to 29 at GU Stadium, brings together eight of Southern Africa’s leading women’s clubs, with the winner earning the region’s solitary ticket to the CAF Women’s Champions League finals later this year.

Sundowns headline Group B alongside Eswatini champions Nsingizini Hotspurs, Mozambique’s Costa do Sol and Malawi debutants, Silver Strikers.

The Brazilians will be expected to qualify from the group, but coach Godfrey Sapula will know that reputations count for little once the tournament begins.

Sundowns are the most successful side in the history of the COSAFA qualifier, having won the regional competition in 2021 and 2023.

They are also two-time continental champions although last year's tournament provided a reminder that they are not invincible.

Sundowns were eliminated in the semi-finals by ZESCO Ndola Girls, who went on to lose the final to GU on penalties.

Sapula's side will therefore arrive with unfinished business. The coach, a former Sundowns player, has been at the helm of the women's team since 2025 after previously working within the club's academy.

His familiarity with the Sundowns environment and experience within the organisation will be important as he attempts to restore the club to regional dominance.

The opening assignment, however, will be against a team writing its own history. Eswatini champions, Nsingizini Hotspurs, will make their COSAFA Women's Champions League debut when they face Sundowns at 3pm on Friday.

They enter the competition after ending Young Buffaloes' long domestic dominance, securing the Eswatini Women's Football League title with a 1-0 victory over Buffaloes in June.

Patience Ndhlovu scored the decisive goal late in that match, and she has already shown that she can trouble opposition defences outside Eswatini.

Nsingizini gained valuable exposure at the Pirates Cup in Johannesburg, where they went unbeaten in the group stage before finishing fourth.

Ndhlovu scored five goals, while Siphelele Mpanza was named the 2025-26 Eswatini Women's Football League Player of the Season.

For a debutant, the challenge could hardly be bigger. But Nsingizini will have nothing to lose against the two-time champions and will see the match as an opportunity to announce themselves on the regional stage.

Costa do Sol on the other hand provide the group with experience, with the Mozambicans making their fourth appearance and have reached the semi-finals twice.

They finished third in 2023 and again reached the last four last year, where they were beaten 3-1 by eventual champions GU.

Their biggest obstacle could be their record against Sundowns. The sides have met twice previously in this competition, with Sundowns winning 8-1 in 2022 and 4-0 in 2023.

That 12-1 aggregate scoreline will give the South Africans confidence, but Costa do Sol's repeated appearances at this level mean they cannot be dismissed.

They open their campaign against Silver Strikers at noon on Friday, before facing Nsingizini and then Sundowns in their final group match.

Silver Strikers are the other Group B debutants and arrive as champions of Malawi's inaugural National Bank Women's Premiership.

The Lilongwe club dominated the domestic campaign, winning 16 of their 18 matches under coach Andrew Chikhosi.

Their biggest attacking threat is Deborah Henry, who scored 23 goals in 18 league appearances to finish as the competition's leading scorer. The COSAFA tournament will therefore provide a completely different test.

Silver Strikers have never played in this competition, while their opponents include a two-time regional and continental champion.

But their domestic record suggests they have the confidence to make their debut count. The tournament kick off on Thursday, with Group A taking centre stage.

Full CAF Women's Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers schedule

Thursday, August 20 12:00: ZESCO Ndola Girls vs Herentals Queens 15:00: Gaborone United vs LDF Ladies

Friday, August 21 12:00: Costa do Sol vs Silver Strikers 15:00: Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs Nsingizini Hotspurs

Saturday, August 22 12:00 – LDF Ladies vs ZESCO Ndola Girls 15:00 – Gaborone United vs Herentals Queens

Sunday, August 23 12:00 – Nsingizini Hotspurs vs Costa do Sol 15:00 – Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs Silver Strikers

Monday, August 24 12:00 – Herentals Queens vs LDF Ladies 15:00 – Gaborone United vs ZESCO Ndola Girls

Tuesday, August 25 12:00 – Silver Strikers vs Nsingizini Hotspurs 15:00 – Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs Costa do Sol