Zesco Ndola Girls Stun Sundowns to Book Final Spot in CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers
Zesco Ndola Girls produced a stunning upset of two-time continental champions Mamelodi Sundowns with a 2-1 victory in their semifinal clash on Friday, setting up a final showdown with Gaborone United Ladies FC at the AW Muller Stadium in Johannesburg.
Making their debut in the competition, the Zambian champions showed resilience and character to come from behind and seal a famous win, while Botswana’s Gaborone United eased past Mozambique’s Costa do Sol 3-1 in the other semifinal to secure back-to-back appearances in the final.
First Half: Rabale Breaks the Deadlock
Sundowns looked to be on course for another final appearance when Lesotho international Boitumelo Rabale gave them the lead on the stroke of halftime, turning smartly before firing low into the bottom corner (45+’). The champions carried a 1-0 advantage into the break, confident of finishing the job.
Second Half: Zesco Punish Costly Errors
But Zesco came out fighting. In the 53rd minute, Eneless Phiri pounced on a shocking error from goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, who spilled a routine take, leaving the midfielder to roll the ball into an empty net for the equalizer.
Sundowns tried to regain control, but it was Zesco who delivered the knockout blow. In the 89th minute, Fridah Kabwe’s tame effort somehow slipped through Dlamini’s hands and into the net, sparking scenes of jubilation from the Zambian bench.
Kabwe thought she had wrapped up a brace in injury time after finishing off a counterattack, but VAR ruled the effort out for offside. Still, the damage had already been done.
Historic Upset
The result handed Sundowns their first ever defeat in regulation time in the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers and will go down as arguably the biggest upset in the competition’s history.
Player of the Match Eneless Phiri was instrumental in midfield and scored the crucial equalizer that set the tone for Zesco’s comeback.
📌 Full-Time Score:
🇿🇦 Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies 1 (Rabale 45+’)
🇿🇲 Zesco Ndola Girls 2 (Phiri 53’, Kabwe 89’)
✨ Player of the Match: Eneless Phiri (Zesco Ndola Girls)
Road to the Final
The final is now set:
⚽ Zesco Ndola Girls (Zambia) vs Gaborone United Ladies (Botswana)
📍 AW Muller Stadium, Johannesburg
🕑 Sunday, August 31, 14h00 CAT
Zesco will be aiming to cap off their dream debut with silverware, while Gaborone United seek to go one better than their runner-up finish last year.
