The triumph secured a third successive national crown for the Red Roses s and saw them become the first champions under the newly introduced national league format, further cementing their status as the benchmark of the women's game. Despite controlling possession from the opening whistle, GU found themselves behind against the run of play during a game played here at the Palapye Stadium on Saturday. The Ostriches forward, Messia Radinonyane, capitalised on a defensive error in the 23rd minute, racing through before calmly slotting past the goalkeeper to stun the favourites. The Mining Girls' lead, however, did little to alter the flow of the contest. The Reds continued to dictate possession and territory, patiently probing for an opening. Their persistence paid off two minutes before halftime when Keitumetse Dithebe delivered a low cross into the box for Lesego Radiakanyo, who swept home to restore parity and send the sides into the break level at 1-1. The equaliser opened the floodgates. Just 10 minutes after the restart, GU punished a misplaced pass on the edge of the Orapa box. Jessica Modise pounced before laying the ball into the path of Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse, who applied the simplest of finishes to put the Reds ahead. Ontlametse struck again just after the hour mark, rising highest to head home from a corner kick and extend GU's advantage to 3-1 as Orapa's resistance began to fade. With the champions in full control, Modise got on the scoresheet in the 80th minute, tapping home after good work from Radiakanyo. Three minutes from time, the pair combined once more as Modise delivered a teasing cross that Radiakanyo met with a clinical volley to complete the rout. Red Roses head coach, Khalid Ninyonzima, said the victory was the culmination of meticulous planning and unwavering faith in the club's playing philosophy. "We planned this final for seven days after winning our league championship. We knew exactly what we were going to do and we kept our DNA on how we were going to play," Ninyonzima said after the match. Even after conceding first, the coach never doubted his side's ability to turn the tide. "That goal came from our own mistake, but from there we picked up and controlled the game. We dominated and I knew the goals would come." Ninyonzima explained his halftime message was simple after his side squandered several opportunities in the opening half. "I told them to continue playing the way we played in the first half and the goals would come because they could not contain us." The coach pointed to his side's fitness and quality as decisive factors, noting that Orapa struggled to cope with the relentless tempo imposed by the Red Roses
The teams:
