Sundowns Ladies gear up for first appearance in Women's Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are gearing up to participate in their first-ever Women’s Cup, which takes place from 14-17 August in the United States.

The Continental Champions have won 17 of the 20 games this season and their past six games in the Hollywoodbets Super League.

The Brazilians took part in a preseason match against Gaborone United Ladies of Botswana earlier this week. The Tshwane giants won 1-0, with a goal from Nthabiseng Majiya.

“We need to build up to this tournament with good results and we have done that with strong performances in the league as well as the victory against the team from Botswana,” Coach Jerry Tshabalala told his club’s official website.

“As a technical team, we have managed to achieve what we wanted from the players.”

Banyana Ba Style will play Kansas City Current, and in the first game of the competition, Atlético de Madrid will play Kobe on August 14.

On the 17th, the victors will square off for the Championship title, while the third-place match will also take place on the same day.

Coach Jerry is confident that the club will rise to the occasion and give a performance that truly showcases their abilities ahead of the game against Kansas City.

“We have had the opportunity to watch some of their games and they play a style similar to ours. So, we have to be at our best against them. However, we do not want to focus too much on them because we have our strengths,” he added.

“We have been given the opportunity to go out there and showcase African football and demonstrate why we are the African champions. It is my duty as a coach to calm the players down so that they do not get overwhelmed by the stage and all that.

“This tournament is important not only for Sundowns Ladies and South Africa, but also for younger players who will be motivated by our performance.

“They could see this and say, ‘I need to take my career seriously—one day, I could be playing on a global stage.’ Therefore, we must go out there, leave our mark and serve as a source of motivation for aspiring footballers.”

WATCH: Sundowns Ladies prepare for Women’s Cup