Sundowns Ladies’ squad depth praised after perfect group-stage run

Godfrey Sapula has praised the strength of his Sundowns Ladies squad after they completed the group stage with a 4-1 victory over Costa do Sol at Gaborone United Stadium on Tuesday.

The result gave Sundowns a perfect record from their three group matches, with the side scoring 15 goals in total. Sapula said the team’s ability to make significant changes without losing its competitive edge was a reflection of careful preparation.

The coach was particularly pleased that a fresh starting XI was able to produce another convincing performance, despite several players having been involved with WAFCON.

“We give credit to the preparations, we knew that when we had players going to the WAFCON we had to prepare very well with the other players so that when we need to refresh the team, we have players that are also ready as what happened today with the new fresh starting 11 but the team was still strong. We were able to play strong and get maximum points,” Sapula said.

Sundowns’ victory over Costa do Sol was their final assignment in the group stage and ensured they advanced to the next stage with three wins from three matches.

For Sapula, the results have also highlighted the unity within the squad. He said the players’ willingness to work for one another had helped maintain the team’s momentum throughout the group campaign.

“It talks about the true spirit, unity, players really fighting for each other. The spirit is really good and for us, I mean the first objective obviously achieved which is to win all the three games in the group to move to the next stage,” the coach added.

The coach said achieving the first objective should not lead to complacency, with Sundowns now turning their attention to the semi-final.

“We treat this with humility and we are gonna keep our feet on the ground to make sure that we still prepare for the semi-final because it’s just one part achieved. We must still focus on making sure that we play a very good semi-final to give ourselves a chance. “So, we are really humbled but as I said we are gonna put our feet on the ground and make sure that we do our analysis and prepare as best as possible.”

Sapula’s comments came after Sundowns demonstrated that their squad can cope with rotation while continuing to produce goals and secure maximum points. The 4-1 win over Costa do Sol followed the team’s earlier group-stage victories and completed an unbeaten record.

The coach said the squad’s preparations had ensured players outside the regular starting line-up were ready when called upon. That depth allowed him to refresh the team against Costa do Sol while retaining the strength needed to finish the group stage successfully.

Sundowns now face the semi-final with their perfect group-stage record behind them, but Sapula stressed that the team must treat its progress with humility and complete its preparations carefully.