Ghana vs South Africa: Who will survive the ladies battle in Cairo today?
Who will clinch the maiden edition of CAF Women Champions League today in Cairo? Will Hasaacas Ladies of Ghana claim the ultimate glory or will Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa dance the victory samba? That is the question in the minds of many especially lovers of women football. The venue for this battle royal is 30 June Stadium, Cairo.
When the Ghanaians won the WAFU-B zonal qualifiers to reach the WCL finals, some thought that was a fluke. But in Cairo, Hasaacas Ladies proved they are one of the best teams in the continent.
Three wins and a draw guided Hasaacas to the final, where they would need another victory to be crowned as African Champions, a feat they believe they can achieve comes Friday night.
Coach of the side Yussif Basigi is confident that the girls from the former Gold Coast will rule the day.
“I have faith in my goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and attackers. You will see more variations of how the team plays,” said Yussif Basigi. As for the South African ladies, it is not just about winning but also some form of consolidation.
Five years after seeing their men’s team winning the CAF Champions League for the first time in their history, Mamelodi Sundowns could rewrite history books by being the first ever side to gather Men and Women’s Champions League trophies in their cabinet.
Four clean sheets, and a penalty shootout win led Sundowns to the final, where they know another clean sheet could mean nothing but being the Champions of the continent.
Coach Jerry Tshabalala who is counting her blessings so far getting to this stage is optimistic that Mamelodi will laugh last.
“It’s a big game. We wanted to be here, and we did it. We saw their strengths and their weaknesses, so we prepared well for them,” she enthused
In sports circles Ghana and South Africa are trending. Recall that officiating in the world cup qualifiers between Ghana and South Africa has taken the centre stage with South Africa calling for a replay of the match after what was dubbed dubious penalty forced Bafana Bafana out of the World cup race.
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The issue has since been excalated and FIFA is in the know and has indeed asked for all the evidences to enable it take decision. Is this additional reason why all attention will turn to Cairo today as the ladies fight to the finish? You certainly bet!