CAF: Sundowns seal dominant win

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have secured their place in the CAF Women’s Champions League final after producing an impressive 4-1 victory against Kawempe Muslim Ladies on Wednesday.

The South African side demonstrated their attacking quality at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, Egypt, dominating proceedings and establishing a comfortable advantage before the half-time break.

Ronnel Donnelly emerged as the biggest star of the encounter after delivering an outstanding performance that included three goals. Her achievement also made her the first player to score a hat-trick in a single match at this year’s competition.

Donnelly started her remarkable scoring run in the 29th minute, finishing off a well-worked attacking move. She found the back of the net again just five minutes later before completing her hat-trick in the 37th minute.

Noxolo Cesane further increased Sundowns’ advantage shortly before the interval, scoring the fourth goal to give the Brazilians a commanding 4-0 lead heading into the second half.

Kawempe Muslim Ladies, who were participating in the semi-final stage for the first time in their history, found it difficult to cope with the South African champions’ intensity and attacking movement.

The Ugandan representatives eventually managed to get on the scoresheet in the 72nd minute when Latifah Nakasi rose above the defence to head home a consolation goal. However, their efforts were insufficient to inspire a comeback.

Sundowns continued to control the contest after conceding and came close to extending their advantage during stoppage time, but their attempt struck the crossbar.

Kawempe also thought they had scored another late goal, but VAR officials overturned the effort after identifying a foul during the build-up.

The victory means Sundowns Ladies will compete in the final for the first time since 2023. They are scheduled to face defending champions AS FAR of Morocco on Sunday.

With Donnelly delivering exceptional performances and the entire squad showing impressive quality, Sundowns will approach the final with considerable confidence as they target another continental title.

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