The match that took place on Saturday, July 1, was very entertaining with Mninginisi Brave Ladies with more ball possession. However, due to the determination of Athletico’s goalkeeper to frustrate all the balls heading her way, their efforts to find the net were fruitless. The only time they scored their two goals was during the first few minutes of the first half.

This was before Athletico substituted its goalkeeper and replaced her with someone with goalkeeping experience from the previous Mayor’s Cup. This decision saved them because, unlike Mninginisi Brave Ladies, their play was not impressive. Asked whether his team had noted its weakness on the field, Athletico’s coach Hlawulani Ndlovu said the poor performance was due to a lack of experience.

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“As opposed to the goalkeeper, who has experience from past Mayor’s Cup tournaments, these kids have no experience. It is their first time playing in the Mayor’s Cup, so they panic easily,” he explained, saying this resulted in their poor performance. According to Ndlovu, his team will work on their defending tactics.

“We realised that for us to win this tournament we need to shape up, we need to work on our defence and attack capabilities,” he said. Meanwhile, the humiliating loss was more than a disappointment for Mninginisi Brave Ladies. After losing 3-1 to Phikela Ladies in the run-up to the semi-finals, Mninginisi Brave Ladies lodged a protest, claiming that Phikela Ladies had fielded a player not from their ward.

After winning the claim which saw Phikela Ladies disqualified, they were allowed back into the tournament. The Saturday match was, therefore, an opportunity for them to prove their worth in front of everybody that they deserved to be back; losing it was very painful for them.