CWCL 2025: Kick4Life and Mamelodi Sundowns PROFILES

The CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers will be played in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 22-31.

There are a record 10 teams competing this year, up from the previous best year of eight, as more and more sides meet the stringent licensing regulations of CAF to take part.

Here are the profiles of two of the teams to take part, Kick4Life of Lesotho and Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa.

 

KICK4LIFE DEBUT AT CAF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | COSAFA QUALIFIERS
Kick4Life will become the second side from Lesotho to compete in the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers when they debut in the 2025 edition in Johannesburg.

It follows two appearances for Lesotho Defence Force in 2021 and 2023, both of which ended in group stage exits.

In fact, with LDF drawing two and losing four of their six games in the competition, Kick4Life will hope to become the first side from Lesotho to record a victory.

Kick4Life is much more than a soccer club, it is a non-profit organisation that aims to assist vulnerable children.

“As a football club committed to social change we bring together the football industry and the Sport for Development sector,” the club says. “This model enables us to change lives off the pitch as well as leading systemic change in the industry, and in 2020 we became the first top flight club in the world to commit to gender equal budgets.

“We are a registered charity and a social enterprise with offices in Lesotho, the UK and the USA.”
Based in Maseru, the club offers a wide range of sporting and academic opportunities to young people, and now get to showcase their talent on the regional stage.

They rounded out their domestic league season in May with a thumping 10-0 victory over Thaba Tseka Ladies to ensure they went through the campaign undefeated.

They had been crowned champions with a game to spare and have several Lesotho internationals in their squad.

The club also has a twinning partnership with English Championship side Wrexham, who themselves have showed the underdog can have some bite as they catapulted up the English league pyramid in the last few seasons.

They are a charity and a organisation that cares for others, but also a football team and they will do their talking on the pitch at the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers.

 

SUNDOWNS BACK TO COMPETE ON THE REGIONAL STAGE
South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns return to the regional finals having skipped last year as they qualified for the CAF Women’s Champions League continental stage as holders of the title.

They are two-time African champions after wins in 2021 and 2023, and will be the team to beat again in the COSAFA qualifiers.

They lifted the regional title in two of their first three years competing at this stage, but were pipped in 2022 as they lost to Green Buffaloes in the decider on penalties.

So statistically they have yet to lose a game in the competition outright and will be among the favourites again having defended their South African domestic championship once again.

They have been drawn in Group A with Ntopwa FC from Malawi, Beauties FC from Namibia and Zambia’s Zesco Ndola Girls, which will be an incredibly tough pool.

Melinda Kgadiete is the leading scorer for the team, CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers as a whole, with eight goals.

Sundowns defeated Black Rhinos Queens in the 2021 decider, easing to a 3-0 victory, and also claimed a 2-0 win over Double Action Ladies from Botswana in 2023.

They are a squad packed with talented players from across the region, not least providing a healthy contingent to Banyana Banyana.

They have recently signed young rising star Ronnel Donnelly, who could be a major force in this competition.

TOURNAMENT FINISHES
2024 – Received bye to continental finals
2023 – Winners
2022 – Runners-Up
2021 – Winners

DATE	VENUE	OPPONENT	ROUND	RES	GOALSCORERS
26-8-21	Durban	Lesotho Defence Force	Group Stage	6-0	Mgcoyi 3, Mulaudzi, Kgadiete, Rabale
28-8-21	Durban	Double Action Ladies	Group Stage	6-0	Nhlapho, Kgadiete 3, Mgcoyi, Daweti
30-8-21	Durban	Manzini Wanderers	Group Stage	6-1	Esau 2, Daweti 2, Masibi, Mali
2-9-21	Durban	Green Buffaloes	Semifinal	1-0	Kgadiete
4-9-21	Durban	Black Rhino Queens	Final	3-0	Kgasago, Mthandi, Rabale
7-8-22	Durban	Costa do Sol	Group Stage	8-1	Kgadiete 2, Mgcoyi 2, Nhlapho, Minnies, Farranguana og, Mulaudzi
9-8-22	Durban	Double Action Ladies	Group Stage	1-1	Kgadiete
13-8-22	Durban	Green Buffaloes	Final	0-0	–
31-8-23	Durban	Olympic de Moroni	Group Stage	8-0	Morifi, Makhubela 2, Rabale, Mthandi, Tholakele, G. Kekana, Minnies
2-9-23	Durban	Young Buffaloes	Group Stage	4-0	Daweti 3, Mgcoyi
4-9-23	Durban	Costa do Sol	Group Stage	4-0	Nhlapho pen, Minnies, Mgcoyi 2
6-9-23	Durban	Green Buffaloes	Semifinals	3-1	Nhlapho, Morifi, Makhubela pen
8-9-23	Durban	Double Action Ladies	Final	2-0	Morifi, Mthandi

 

GOALSCORERS
9 goals – Andisiwe Mgcoyi
8 – Melinda Kgadiete
6 – Lelona Daweti
4 – Zanele Nhlapho
3 – Tiietso Makhubela, Miche Minnies, Chuene Morifi, Nonhlanhla Mthandi, Boitumelo Rabale
2 – Chantelle Esau, Rhoda Mulaudzi
1 – Gabonnelwe Kekana, Lerato Kgasago, Khunjolwa Mali, Thembelihle Masibi, Refilwe Tholakele
Own goal – Nadia Farranguana (Costa do Sol)

 

HAT-TRICKS
Andisiwe Mgcoyi vs Lesotho Defence Force (2021); Melinda Kgadiete vs Double Action Ladies (2021); Lelona Daweti vs Young Buffaloes (2023)

 

RECORDS AND SEQUENCES
Biggest win: 8-0 vs Olympic de Moroni (2024)
Heaviest defeat: –
Highest scoring match: 8-1 vs Costa do Sol (2022)
Longest winning run: 6 games (from 26-08-21 to 7-8-22)
Longest losing run: –
Longest unbeaten run: 13 games (from 26-08-21 to present)
Longest run without a win: 2 games (from 9-8-22 to 13-8-22)
Total clean sheets: 9 matches (69%)
Total failed to score: 1 match (8%)
Most goals scored in a competition: 22 (2021)
Most goals conceded in a competition: 2 (2022)
Group stage wins: 7 out of 8 (88%)
Knockout stage wins: 4 out of 5 (80%)