Mamelodi Sundowns will play their third consecutive CAF Women’s Champions League final following their dispatching of AS Far in the semi-finals of the CAF Women’s Champions League, Cote d’Ivoire 2023 on Wednesday evening at Korogho’s Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.
While a place in the finals was the main target, this tie between the two sides was somewhat of a grudge match for the South Africans who surrendered their champions title to AS Far last season in the finals that saw AS Far being crowned champions.
An evenly balanced encounter, with nothing to separate the two sides as expected in the first half saw the tie go into the break with a goalless stalemate, as both sides approached with caution.
Coming back from recess, both sides were a bit more adventurous in search of the lead.
However, it was the South Africans who found the one and only goal in the 73rd minute, as Boitumelo Rabale connected well with a corner to fire her side into the finals of Africa’s premier women’s club competition.
The heart-breaking result sees AS Far having to settle for an opportunity to contest for the bronze medal on Saturday evening.
This is what the coaches had to say:
Mohamed Amine Alioua, coach of AS Far
“I am the main person responsible for this defeat. I take responsibility for everything. The girls did everything right. Now we will focus on the small final. Even if the disappointment hurts, we will continue to do our best in our last game”.
Jerry Tshabalala, Mamelodi Sundowns coach
“We are in the final. I warned you. I would like to sincerely thank the people of Korhogo. We feel at home. Now, we will have to correct our little shortcomings to be at the top on Sunday and offer an extraordinary finale to this audience”.