…South Africans seek perfection for Saturday’s clash

 Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns are seeking perfection in certain areas of their game to secure victory against Edo Queens in their last Group B match of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League at Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco, on Saturday.

The South Africans stormed back from their 1-0 defeat to FC Masar in the opening match to demolish the group’s whipping team, Central Bank of Ethiopia, 4-0 on Wednesday.

Despite the morale-boosting win, Coach Jerry Tshabalala still feels the need for the team to improve in some areas to enable them to successfully defend their title.

“It was important for us to bounce back strong. We started on a negative note and needed to redeem ourselves. Credit must go to CBE; I think they are a good side despite us getting four goals. We appreciate the victory, but there’s a few things that I am not happy with when we play. We still have a few things to fix. We appreciate the victory, but we must continue to work hard,” said Tshabalala after their clinical display against the Ethiopians, who ultimately saw their campaign come to an end as a result of the heavy loss.

Sundowns are chasing a record third title in four years, but must beat Group B leaders, Edo Queens, in their last match to progress to the last four.

A draw or defeat against the Nigerian and West African champions will see them exit the tournament; peradventure Masar beat CBE to finish with seven points and qualify alongside Edo Queens.

Debutants Edo Queens and Masar battled to a goalless draw on Wednesday, where a win for either side could have seen them put one foot into the semi-finals of the competition.

Despite the numerous chances created, neither side could break the deadlock, with both goalkeepers and set of defenders being on high alert throughout the tense encounter.

The result sees Queens maintain their lead at the top of the group with four points, with Masar just behind them on the same number of points.

Edo Queens are the third Nigerian club to feature in the continental showpiece after Rivers Angels in 2021 and Bayelsa Queens in 2022, with the country’s highest finish being a third-place record by the latter.