Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies were not able to record a win in the 2024 Women’s Cup as they were on the losing side in their Women’s Cup bronze medal match to INAC Kobe Leonessa at the CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday, 17 August 2024.
The Pretoria side suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Japanese team but despite the result, Jerry Tshabalala’s side would have taken some key learnings from this competition.
Kobe Leonessa started off on the front foot with numerous goal attempts but Sundowns Ladies goalkeeper Sedilame Boseja made sure she kept the ball out of the net.
It was Lelona Daweti who had their first shot but the attempt didn’t materialise and a few minutes later Nthabiseng Majiya was also in on the action but ended with the same result.
The team from Japan finally managed to break the deadlock in the 27th minutes when Yui Narumiya’s shot was deflected off Zanele Nhlapho. Boseja was not able to deal with the attempt that managed to find its way into the back of the net.
Kobe Leonessa continued to press for the second goal but were not able to penetrate the solid defence of the Brazilians and had to settle for a 1-0 lead going into the break.
Sundowns Ladies came out with intent in the second half as Majiya’s attempt was on target but she was denied by keeper Akane Ōkuma. The Japanese team was again trying to penetrate the Sundowns Ladies’ defence but Karabo Makhurubetshi stood firm for her team.
However, Kobe Leonessa managed to find their second goal thanks to Haruna Aikawa who picked up a well-timed pass to slot the ball past Boseja and with it seal the victory.
Sundowns Ladies made history in the invitational tournament as they became the first-ever South African Women’s team to participate in the competition.
The team will no doubt look to this as an unforgettable experience where they were able to learn and grow from what their opponents taught them on and off the pitch.
Hosts Kansas City Current were crowned the winners after they won their Champions match against Atletico de Madrid 1-0 on Saturday.
Main Photo Caption: Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies will return home winless after their debut outing at the 2024 Women’s Cup, going down 2-0 in their bronze medal match to Japan’s INAC Kobe Leonessa at the CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday, 17 August 2024. Photo: Sundowns Ladies on X
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