Sundowns Ladies coach admits Buffaloes gave them a tough time
Buffaloes from Zambia, were the first team to hold Sundowns past the half hour mark without the South Africans scoring a goal.
Agnes Thandiwe Nkosi, coach of Mamelodi Sundowns reacts during the 2021 Total Energies CAF Womens Champions League COSAFA qualifier semifinal match against Green Buffaloes at Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium. (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies coach Agnes Nkosi admitted that they had it very difficult coming up against Green Buffaloes in the semi-finals of the Caf Women’s Champions League/Cosafa qualifiers at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Thursday.
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Buffaloes from Zambia, were the first team to hold Sundowns past the half hour mark without the South Africans scoring a goal, thanks to the visitors defence looking very tight.
However, Sundowns Ladies had a breakthrough just before half-time, thanks to Melinda Kgadiete, getting the lead and eventually the only goal of the match to take the Pretoria side to the final of the tournament as Downs won 1-0.
“Yoh, ai, today’s (Thursday) game was very difficult from the first half. Within five minutes of play those people (opponents) were not coming at us, they just decided to sit at the back. And that really frustrated us and another thing is that we were playing against the wind. I told the players to come down, lets put the ball on ground and play. But still, they (Buffaloes) decided to sit back,” said Nkosi after the game. “I am so happy that at some point we managed to penetrate them and at get the goal.”
The Sundowns Ladies coach went on to reveal that Buffaloes had a very physical presence, which made her players unable to play. But, overall, Nkosi added that the Zambians matched them.
“Physically, those guys are very strong, that’s point number one. Another thing is that they can play. Their defence was also strong, if you can look at my strikers, they couldn’t turn or do anything, which showed that they were closed. So, Buffaloes can play, they can play just like us. I will just say they matched us.”
Now with the semi-finals out of the way, Nkosi and her troops change to the final against Black Rhinos Queens on Saturday.
The winner will not only walk away with a regional trophy and the prestigious prize, but will also book a spot in the first ever Caf Women’s Champions League in Egypt.
