The University of the Western Cape (UWC) women’s football team achieved another significant milestone by securing their first victory - and a first for a university team - in the CAF Women’s Champions League.
Coach Thinasonke Mbuli’s team triumphed over Aigles de la Medina of Senegal with a 2-0 victory in Morocco, keeping their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
After losing their initial match against TP Mazembe with a 2-0 scoreline on Saturday, UWC was determined to turn their fortunes around. Aigles de la Medina, having also lost their first game 3-0 to host AS FAR Rabat, were equally desperate for a win. However, it was the COSAFA representatives, UWC, who emerged victorious. Goals from substitute Molatelo Kobo and Ntombifikile Ndlovu gave the team a much-needed boost, making UWC the only university team to reach this level of women’s football on the continent.
Coach Mbuli knew the importance of this win. Speaking to SABC Sport, she said, “I think we needed the win more than performance today. We knew it was gonna be tough and we knew that there was a possibility that they might play like how we analysed them against AS FAR and they did exactly that. So, we had to quickly adjust to how they were playing.”
Despite the two-goal victory and securing three crucial points, Mbuli was not entirely satisfied with the team's performance: "[I’m] not happy with how we missed chances in the first half. I mean, we could have scored two in the first half, two or three goals, and then we were put under pressure in the second half because 2-0 is not a good result, because if they keep on, then we are under pressure."
Nevertheless, Mbuli acknowledged the effort of her players, especially in the last 10 to 15 minutes. "But I think I'll take three points and the effort from the players because the last 10 to 15 minutes we were under a lot of pressure and they could manage to absorb the pressure and finish the game with a clean sheet," she concluded.
UWC will conclude the group stage with a must-win match against Rabat on Friday. This game is crucial for their progression in the tournament, and the UWC team will be looking to build on their recent success to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Coach Thinasonke Mbuli’s team triumphed over Aigles de la Medina of Senegal with a 2-0 victory in Morocco, keeping their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
After losing their initial match against TP Mazembe with a 2-0 scoreline on Saturday, UWC was determined to turn their fortunes around. Aigles de la Medina, having also lost their first game 3-0 to host AS FAR Rabat, were equally desperate for a win. However, it was the COSAFA representatives, UWC, who emerged victorious. Goals from substitute Molatelo Kobo and Ntombifikile Ndlovu gave the team a much-needed boost, making UWC the only university team to reach this level of women’s football on the continent.
Coach Mbuli knew the importance of this win. Speaking to SABC Sport, she said, “I think we needed the win more than performance today. We knew it was gonna be tough and we knew that there was a possibility that they might play like how we analysed them against AS FAR and they did exactly that. So, we had to quickly adjust to how they were playing.”
Despite the two-goal victory and securing three crucial points, Mbuli was not entirely satisfied with the team's performance: "[I’m] not happy with how we missed chances in the first half. I mean, we could have scored two in the first half, two or three goals, and then we were put under pressure in the second half because 2-0 is not a good result, because if they keep on, then we are under pressure."
Nevertheless, Mbuli acknowledged the effort of her players, especially in the last 10 to 15 minutes. "But I think I'll take three points and the effort from the players because the last 10 to 15 minutes we were under a lot of pressure and they could manage to absorb the pressure and finish the game with a clean sheet," she concluded.
UWC will conclude the group stage with a must-win match against Rabat on Friday. This game is crucial for their progression in the tournament, and the UWC team will be looking to build on their recent success to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
