Red Roses' title defence faces its biggest test

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.