Godfrey Sapula targets CAF Women’s Champions League success after Sundowns’ regional triumph

Godfrey Sapula says Sundowns must improve their decision-making and become more clinical in front of goal as they turn their attention to the CAF Women’s Champions League after winning the COSAFA Qualifiers.

Banyana Ba’Style secured a 2-1 victory over Zambia’s ZESCO Ndola Girls in the final in Gaborone on Saturday, claiming their third regional title and confirming their place at the continental finals.

The result marked another successful campaign for Sundowns, who went unbeaten throughout the tournament. They scored 22 goals and conceded only twice in five matches as they returned to the regional summit and maintained their dominance.

Sapula believes the team’s immediate priority is to build on the winning momentum while addressing areas that could prove decisive at the continental showpiece.

“When we lost to ZESCO last year around this time, we immediately started preparing for this tournament, and now we will take our winning momentum into the CAF Champions League. There’s a lot of things we can still fix like our decision making, and I also want to tap into the potential the players have to be more clinical in front of goal.”

Sundowns’ victory in the final came after a demanding contest against ZESCO Ndola Girls. Sapula described the match as a tough encounter and said his players had to raise their competitiveness in order to secure the title.

The coach praised the squad’s intensity throughout the match, highlighting the way they maintained pressure from the opening whistle until the end.

“The players deserve all the credit because they kept the intensity at a high level from the first minute to the final whistle. Our tempo was high and our counter pressing was really good in order to win the ball back quickly.”

The triumph gives Sundowns another opportunity to compete on the continental stage after their progress through the regional qualifying tournament. Their unbeaten record, attacking output and defensive record provided the foundation for their success in Gaborone.

However, Sapula is already looking beyond the celebrations. He wants the team to use the latest regional title as a platform for further improvement before the CAF Women’s Champions League finals.

Sundowns’ 22 goals across five matches underlined their attacking threat, while conceding just twice demonstrated their strength without the ball. Sapula’s focus now is to make the side more efficient when chances arise and to ensure the players fulfil their potential in front of goal.

Their 2-1 win over ZESCO Ndola Girls secured the regional crown, but the coach’s comments indicate that Sundowns view the achievement as the next step towards a bigger objective: competing for CAF Women’s Champions League glory.