Red Roses' title defence faces its biggest test
Kabelo Boranabi | Thursday August 27, 2026 12:39
It is the headline act of today's semi-finals of the qualifiers at the GU Stadium. The local champions against South African royalty, with the winner moving one step closer to the region's ticket to the CAF Women's Champions League. Red Roses' journey to the last four has been anything but a stroll through the garden. The Red Roses opened their title defence with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory over Lesotho Defence Force before overcoming Herentals Queens. Their momentum was checked in the group decider when ZESCO Ndola Girls claimed a 2-0 victory to finish top of Group A.
The team's head coach Khalid Ninyonzima, however, saw value in the setback, describing it as a “good test” ahead of the knockout stages. Against ZESCO, his side were punished for an early lapse and failed to turn periods of pressure into goals, lessons they cannot afford to ignore against Sundowns. The South African giants have arrived in Botswana looking every bit the benchmark. They marched through Group B unbeaten, scoring freely and conceding just once, underlining why they remain the most decorated side in the competition.
But GU are not strangers to the big occasion. After finishing runners-up in 2024, the Red Roses went all the way last year, beating ZESCO on penalties to lift the trophy. Now, with home support behind them, they have another opportunity to prove that last year's triumph was no one-season bloom. Kick-off is at 7pm.
The earlier semi-final will see ZESCO Ndola Girls face Silver Strikers in a clash of contrasting ambitions. ZESCO are seeking to go one better after last year's final heartbreak and topped Group A with a perfect record. Silver Strikers, meanwhile, have emerged as one of the tournament's surprise packages and will fancy their chances of extending their run. The two teams clash at 4pm.