2023 CAFWCL Final Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies vs SC Casablanca | Team Statistics

This is the third CAF Women’s Champions League final, the second successive one to see Mamelodi Sundowns face Moroccan opposition.

Two teams have won the title previously. Current finalists, Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Ghanaian outfit Hasaacas Ladies in the 2021 final by 2-0, before losing 4-0 in the 2022 final against AS FAR of Morocco.

In the 2022 Final Rhoda Mulaudzi and Zanele Nhlapho of Sundowns were sent off. They are the only players to be red carded in a CAF WCL Final. Sundowns also had Regina Mogolola was sent off in the 2021 final against Hasaacas ladies, Nhlapho and Mogolola are part of the current Sundowns squad.  

In both previous finals the winning team has kept a clean-sheet.

Morocco are the first country to have two different teams reach the CAFWCL Final, SC Casablanca joins AS FAR as Moroccan teams to have reached the final.

Four teams have now reached the CAFWCL Final, this is Sundowns’ third appearance in the final, while SC Casablanca are making their maiden appearance in the final.

Head to head

This is the second clash at the finals between the teams as they also met in the group stages where Melinda Kgadiete scored the game’s only goal for a 1-0 victory for Sundowns. In so doing, Kgadiete became the first player to score in all three editions of the finals.

This is the first time two teams who have met at the group stages will meet in the final.

This will be the second meeting between teams who have met at the group stages, will meet again in the knockout rounds. The other clash is the play-off for third place where AS FAR face Ampem Darkoa.

This is Sundowns’ fourth game against Moroccan opponents at the finals they were winless in two previous clashes against them, drawing in the group stages 0-0 in 2021 and losing in the 2022 final both to AS FAR. They then defeated SC Casablanca at the current finals 1-0.

Along with clashes between Ghanaian and Moroccan teams at the finals, who have and will have met four times, South African clubs and Moroccan clubs will be meeting for a fourth time. All four have included Sundowns.

Moroccan clubs have faced Southern African opponents four times previously in addition to Sundowns’ two games against AS FAR and their clash against SC Casablanca. AS FAR also met Zambian out-fit Green Buffaloes at the 2022 group stages a game they won 2-1 coming from a goal down to win the match.

Moroccan teams record against Southern African teams reads P4 W2 D1 L1.  

Of the two teams Sundowns have made 1,467 successful passes the most in the competition while SC Casablanca have made 836 successful passes.

Sundowns have a passing accuracy of 81.41% while SC Casablanca have a passing accuracy of 64.96%.

SC Casablanca have a conversion rate of 20% the best in the tournament of any team, while Sundowns chance conversion rate is 14.29%

Head to head

                             P          W         D         L        GF        GA       GD      

Sundowns            1          1          0          0          1          0          1

SC Casablanca    1          0          0          1          0          1         -1

Mamelodi Sundowns

Sundowns have reached their third successive CAFWCL Final.

Sundowns are the only team to have reached the final of all three CAFWCL Finals.

Sundowns have now never lost game at the finals leading up to the final.

Sundowns have played 14 games at the finals and have won eleven games in open play, more than any other team. They also have one win on penalties.

At the CAFWCL, Sundowns have only ever failed to win three games in open play two were against AS FAR at the 2021 group stages which ended 0-0 and the 2022 final which they lost 4-0. They also failed to win the 2021 Semi-final against Malabo Kings a game which they won on penalties.

Sundowns have featured in two previous finals. In 2021, they defeated Ghanaian side Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 and lost 4-0 in the 2022 final against AS Far.

Sundowns have scored in their last four games at the finals. They have never before scored in all five games at a single finals.

In 2021 they scored in three of their five games, while in 2022 they scored in four games leading up-to the final against AS FAR where they failed to score.

Sundowns have kept four successive clean-sheets at the current finals have only kept five in 2021.

Sundowns have managed to score 7 goals in reaching the current finals, they scored 12 goals en-route to the 2022 final and in 2021, they only scored two goals.

Enroute to winning the 2021 edition,  Sundowns scored just goals while in 2022, scored 12 goals in ending as runners up.

Sundowns have managed to keep 12 clean-sheets at the finals in 14 games, they only ever conceded goals in their 2022 group stage 2-1 win over Bayelsa Queens and in their 4-0 loss to AS FAR in the 2022 Final.

Sundowns over 14 games at the finals have managed to score 23 goals at 1.64 goals per game.

Sundowns goalkeeper, Amanda Dlamini has kept three clean-sheets at the current finals, while in 2021 she kept three clean-sheets and in 2022 she managed to keep two. In total, Dlamini has kept 8 clean-sheets.

Sundowns have used 20 players enroute to the final, in 2021 they used 19 players and in 2022 they used 22 players. Of their current squad only Mbali Ntimeni has not played.

Refilwe Tholakele has scored three goals for Sundowns at the current finals. She needs one more goal to match Lelona Daweti for a Sundowns player with the most goals at a single finals. Daweti scored 4 in 2022.

Six players have featured in all four games for Sundowns at the current finals, Nonhlanhla Mthandi, Zanele Nhlapho, Boitumelo Rabale and Refilwe Tholakele have started all of Sundowns games, while Chuene Morifi has played in all four games but has started three games. Lerato Kgasago has played in all four games but has not started any games.

Only two players have played every minute of Sundowns’ four games thus far. They are Zanele Nhlapho and Refilwe Tholakele.

Current Sundowns squad members Andile Dlamini, Zanele Nhlapho, Chuene Morifi, Lerato Kgasago, Andisiwe Mgcoyi, Nonhlanla Mthandi, Melinda Kgadiete started Sundowns first CAFWCL Final in 2021 when they defeated Hasaacas ladies of Ghana 2-0. While Regina Mogolola appeared as a substitute, Oratile Mokwena, Khunjulwa Mali and Boitumelo Rabala were unused substitutes.

Current Sundowns squad members Dlamini, Nhlapho, Mogolola, Morifi, Kgasago, Boitumelo Rabale, and Kgadiete started for Sundowns in their 2022 final defeat to AS FAR, Mokwena, Mgcoyi and Mthandi were substitutes while Mokwena was an unused substitute.

For Dlamini, Nhlapho, Morifi, Kgasago, Mgcoyi and Nthandi it will be an opportunity to appear in a third CAFWCL Final.

SC Casablanca

SC Casablanca are the second Moroccan team to reach the CAFWCL final after AS FAR the winners in 2022.

Are the first team to fail to win their opening game at the tournament to reach the final.

They began with a 1-1 draw against Athletico Abidjan. Thereafter lost 1-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns in their second group game and rounded off their group campaign with a 4-1 win over JKT Queens of Tanzania. They defeated Ampem Darkoa in the last four on penalties after the game ended 2-2. 

Their semi-final win on penalties over AMPEM Darkoa is one of two games at the finals to go to penalties. The other was Sundowns’ win over Malabo Kings in 2021, which was also in the last four.

In four games at the finals, SC Casablanca are yet to keep a clean-sheet.

SC Casablanca are the first team at the finals to reach the final without having kept a single clean-sheet.

They have conceded five goals in getting to the final, the most goals any team at the competition has let in en-route to reaching the final.

In three of their four games at the finals, SC Casablanca had conceded first, starting with their 1-1 draw against Athletico Abidjan, then lost 1-0 in their second group game to Sundowns and in their Semi-final against Ampem Darkoa, they trailed twice in a match that ended 2-2 before winning 3-2 on penalties.

No team has ever conceded first in three games at the finals and made it all the way to the final, SC Casablanca are the first team to do so.

While Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini has kept three clean-sheets at the current edition of the tournament, SC Casablanca goalkeeper Imane Abdelahad is yet to do so.

Abdelahad has made 18 saves in the tournament so far more than any other goalkeeper, who has featured in the three games.

Abdelahad has conceded five goals in four appearances at the tournament and has made 18 saves. While Sundowns goalkeeper Amanda Dlamini has made five saves in three games.

SC Casablanca have scored seven goals at the finals with five different players scoring and they have been the beneficiaries of an own goal. N’Guessan Koffi is the top scorer for them with two goals.

Should they win, they will become the third different winner of the CAFWCL and it would mean every edition has had a new winner.

Sixteen players have featured for SC Casablanca as they made it to the final, with seven players starting each of their four games. They have had another three featuring in all of their four games.

Six players have played all 390 minutes of SC Casablanca’s campaign in Cote d’ Ivoire. They are Imane Abdelahad, Laila Dahrouch, Maryem Hajri, N’Guessan Koffi, Chaymaa Mourtaji and Aicha Samake.

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