Mamelodi Sundowns face Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi tests in COSAFA qualifiers

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have been drawn against Nsingizini HotSpurs, Costa Du Sol and Silver Strikers in Group B of the 2026 COSAFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers.

The draw took place in Gaborone on Tuesday, with the tournament scheduled to be held in Botswana from 20 to 29 August.

Sundowns, the defending Hollywoodbets Super League champions, will face Nsingizini HotSpurs of Eswatini, Mozambique’s Costa Du Sol and Malawi’s Silver Strikers as they attempt to reach the continental finals later this year.

The South African club will be seeking to recover from last year’s disappointment at the regional competition. Godfrey Sapula’s side were eliminated in the semi-finals of the qualifiers in Johannesburg, a result which prevented them from advancing to the continental finals.

That failure also cost the two-time African champions an opportunity to compete in the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup earlier this year.

Sundowns will therefore enter this year’s qualifying campaign with the chance to regain their place among the region’s leading clubs. Their route to the latter stages begins with a group containing opposition from three different countries.

The tournament format requires each team to compete for one of the two qualification places available from each group. The top two sides in Group A and Group B will progress to the semi-finals.

The eventual winner of the COSAFA qualifiers will represent the region at the continental finals later this year.

Group A features defending champions and hosts Gaborone United, alongside Lesotho Defence Force, Zambia’s ZESCO Ndola Girls and Zimbabwe’s Herentals Queens.

Gaborone United will have home advantage during the competition, while the other three teams will be aiming to prevent the hosts from reaching the knockout phase. Group B, meanwhile, brings together Sundowns and clubs from Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

For Sundowns, the draw provides a clear target after their semi-final exit in the previous edition. Sapula’s charges must finish among the leading two teams in their section before they can challenge for the regional title and a place in the continental finals.

The competition will be played across nine days in Botswana, beginning on 20 August and concluding on 29 August. It will determine which club earns the right to represent the COSAFA region at the next stage of the continental competition.

The draw also marks the latest step in Sundowns’ pursuit of further success after their domestic title triumph in the Hollywoodbets Super League. Their record as two-time African champions will add to the expectations surrounding their campaign, but they must first navigate Group B before thinking about the semi-finals or the continental finals.