Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies claimed a third regional crown and a place at the continental finals with a 2-1 victory over ZESCO Ndola Girls in the final of the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifier at the Gaborone United Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana on Saturday, 29 August 2026.
Golden Boot winner Refilwe Tholakele scored both goals, one from the penalty spot, as the South African champions added the 2026 title to their triumphs in 2021 and 2023, and on both of those previous occasions they went on to lift the continental crown.
Tholakele needed just two minutes to give Sundowns the lead, striking early to quieten the Zambian challenge before the final had found its rhythm, and taking her tournament tally to six in front of an expectant crowd.
The Ndola Girls refused to buckle and drew level on the stroke of halftime through Charity Mubanga, whose fifth goal of the tournament rewarded a spirited response from the Zambian champions.
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The decisive moment arrived in the 64th minute when Sundowns were awarded a penalty and Tholakele made no mistake from the spot, sealing the Golden Boot with her seventh goal of the campaign and, as it proved, the trophy.
It was a tight final and more heartbreak for the Ndola Girls, who lost the decider for a second year in a row after going down on penalties to Gaborone United in 2025, and who must wait for a first appearance at the continental finals.
For Sundowns the victory completed a flawless return to the regional summit. They finished the tournament unbeaten with five wins from five matches, 22 goals scored and only two conceded, having also avenged last year’s semi-final defeat to the Ndola Girls, the only time they have lost in ordinary time at the qualifier.
The champions’ route to the title underlined their supremacy. They opened with an 8-0 rout of Nsingizini Hotspurs, beat Silver Strikers 3-0 and saw off Costa do Sol to win Group B with a perfect record, before dismantling defending champions Gaborone United 5-0 in Thursday’s semi-final.
The Ndola Girls had matched them stride for stride until the decider, topping Group A with maximum points, inflicting a first regulation-time defeat on Gaborone United along the way, and edging Silver Strikers 2-1 in their semi-final.
The champions swept the individual honours. Full-back Karabo Dhlamini was named Player of the Tournament, goalkeeper Andile Dlamini claimed the Golden Glove and Tholakele’s seven goals secured the Golden Boot, while the Ndola Girls took the Fair Play award. Dhlamini’s prize capped an outstanding nine days in which she contributed two goals from defence and the assist for the opening goal of the semi-final.
Earlier in the afternoon, hosts Gaborone United claimed third place with a 4-0 win over Silver Strikers of Malawi in the bronze-medal match. Maungo Maponga and Yaone Modise scored a brace each, although it took the hosts an hour to break the deadlock, Maponga striking in the 60th and 83rd minutes, the second from the penalty spot, and Modise in the 74th and 88th.
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The tournament closed with 59 goals from 16 matches, with Sundowns’ 8-0 win over Nsingizini Hotspurs standing as the biggest victory of the nine days in the Botswana capital.
Attention now turns to the CAF Women’s Champions League finals later in the year, where Sundowns will carry Southern Africa’s flag as the region’s sole representative. The two-time African champions will chase a third continental title, with history firmly on their side: each time they have won this qualifier, they have gone on to conquer the continent.
The CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifier, at the Gaborone United Stadium in Botswana on Saturday 29 August 2026
Bronze Medal Match: Gaborone United 4-0 Silver Strikers
FINAL: Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 ZESCO Ndola Girls
Mamelodi Sundowns Starting XI
1 Andile Dlamini (Goalkeeper)
5 Khutso Pila
6 Noxolo Cesane
8 Isabella Ludwig
12 Bambanani Mbane
15 Lelona Daweti
19 Kholosa Biyana
21 Nonhlanhla Mthandi
22 Lebohang Ramalepe (Captain)
25 Karabo Dhlamini
26 Refilwe Tholakele
Substitutes
2 Tiisetso Makhubela
7 Modikanalo Mashigo
10 Boitumelo Rabale
11 Melinda Kgadiete
13 Oratile Mokwena
14 Nthabiseng Majiya
16 Kgomotso Mussimango
Coach: Zolile Sapula
ZESCO Ndola Girls Starting XI
18 Annie Namonje (Goalkeeper)
3 Pauline Zulu
5 Esther Muchinga
7 Eneless Phiri
8 Charity Mubanga
11 Thandiwe Ndhlovu
14 Avell Chitundu (Captain)
19 Majory Mulenga
21 Mable Bwalya
22 Jackline Chomba
24 Grace Kapansa
Substitutes
2 Melody Kipimpi
4 Abigail Munkombwe
6 Dorothy Yambayamba
9 Dorothy Daka
10 Milla Milambo
15 Ivy Omondi
16 Leticia Lungu
Coach: Florence Mwila
Main Photo Caption: Mamelodi Sundowns secured a third regional title after beating ZESCO Ndola Girls 2-1 in the CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA Qualifier final at the Gaborone United Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana on Saturday, 29 August 2026. All Photos: COSAFA Media
Photo 2 Caption: Golden Boot winner Refilwe Tholakele struck both goals as Mamelodi Sundowns completed an unbeaten campaign in Gaborone.
