Double Action pursues regional glory
The ladies team cruises to the semi-finals
Double Action Ladies sealed a second position in Group A at the 2021 Total Energies CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers, to earn a place in the semi-finals, following an emphatic 6-0 victory over Lesotho Defence Force on Monday.
Double Action went off to a highflier thrashing Manzini Warriors 3-0 in the opening match; they were however, immediately humbled by South African champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, who put six (6) behind the local girls.
In a crunch match that would decide if Double Action can stand a chance to qualify for the next round on Monday, Kowa’s side brought their top performance and hit Lesotho De
fence Forces ladies six (6), reversing a throbbing score-line they received from Sundowns.
Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse put them 1-nil up early in the game, before Lesego Radiakanyo added a second. The national team captain, Bonang Otlhagile and Lone Kgalaeng scored two more to give Double Action a comfortable 4-0 lead before halftime.
Radiakanyo added a fifth in the second half, while Kgalaeng missed a penalty in the dying minutes, before Lesego Pineng made it six with a late breakaway goal.
One last hurdle remains, as a spot in the final will decide the team that will represent COSAFA in Egypt later this year. The semi-final clash on Thursday will be a do or die battle as Double Action takes on group B winners, Rhinos Queens of Zimbabwe. Considered a dark horse in the tournament, Double Action head coach, Oupa Kowa has played down their chances to conquer the region but stated that his team is capable of pulling a monkey out of the hat.
Quizzed on how much he knows about their next opponent, Kowa shared that, “I just know them from analysis we did previously, I know who they are; I’ve seen them play but not in this tournament, we have an idea. We came here and felt it is an inaugural tournament for everybody. In terms of us, with the number of players we have from senior national team, under 20 and under 17, I feel that with that experience, we should at least advance to the finals.”
The Zimbabwean outfit have proved to be a hard-nut to crack as they amassed five (5) goals without conceding in the two matches they played in the tournament. They beat pre-tournament favourites, Green Buffaloes 2-0, and then dismissed Namibian champions, TURA Magic 3-0, to finish as Group A leaders.
Mamelodi Sundowns are still the tournament’s favourite side and boasts an array of talents from across the region, including the former Double Action and national team goalkeeper, Sedilame Bosija.
Winners of the COSAFA qualifier will pocket the sole ticket, for the CAF Champions League finals to be held in Egypt, later this year.