Match: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Wadi Degla
Group: B
Venue: Grand stade Marrakech
Date: 03 November 2022
Time: 17h00 Local time (16h00 GMT)
Head- to- head
This game represents the first meeting between Wadi Degla and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies at the CAF WCL.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies becomes the first team from the COSAFA region that Wadi Degla are facing at the competition.
Wadi Degla are the second team from North Africa that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are facing at the CAF WCL Finals, in 2021 they drew their final group game 0-0 against AS FAR of Morocco.
Wadi Degla are the first Egyptian team that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are facing at the competition, meaning that they become a club from a sixth different country that Sundowns Ladies will be up against. They have already played against opponents from Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Equatorial Guinea and Ghana.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are the first South African club that Wadi Degla are up against, which means that they will become a club from a fifth different country Wadi Degla would be facing at the CAF WCL. They have already met opponents from Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
Sundowns Ladies opened up the defence of their CAF WCL title with a 2-1 win over Nigerian outfit Bayelsa Queens in their opening game.
The game against Bayelsa Queens was Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies sixth at the CAF WCL it was their fourth win in open play, they remain unbeaten at the Finals.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies playing their fourth group game at the CAF WCL Finals won a group game for the third time with their win over Bayelsa Queens (D1).
The win over Bayelsa Queens was the first time that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies had managed to score two goals in a group game at the CAF WCL Finals, previously they had scored a single goal in two group stage wins at the 2021 CAF WCL. In the inaugural tournament in Egypt in 2021 Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies defeated Rivers Angels and Vihiga Queens both 1-0, in their opening two group games.
All three of Sundowns group stage wins at the CAF WCL have been by a single goal.
Victory for Sundowns will see them win their opening two games of a CAF WCL Finals for a second successive tournament, they also won their opening two games in 2021 against Rivers Angels of Nigeria and Vihiga Queens of Kenya.
The only time that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have failed to score in a group game at a CAF WCL Finals was against North African opponents in their 0-0 draw against AS FAR of Morocco in their final group game in 2021.
Sundowns victory over Bayelsa Queens in their first game meant that they become the first team at the CAF WCL to win games against two teams from the same country. They defeated Bayelsa Queens rivals Rivers Angels at the 2021 edition.
With her brace in Sundowns opening game against Bayelsa Queens it means that Lelona Daweti is the first Sundowns player to score more than one goal in the same game for them in a single game at the tournament. She is also the first player to score more than one goal for them at the finals.
Mary Anjor’s goal for Bayelsa Queens in Sundowns Ladies 2-1 opening game win was the first time at the tournament that they had conceded a goal, they had gone 530 minutes before conceding with their defence un-breached in five successive games in 2021.
In their opening game against Bayelsa Queens Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies were consistent with possession, having 52.6% of the possession in the first half and 52.7% of the possession in the second half.
Against Bayelsa Queens Sundowns also out passed their opponents completing 409 passes to 367.
Sundowns Thalea Smidt completed a game high 51 passes in her teams first game, more than any other player.
Sundowns Chuene Morifi made 7 crosses in the game against Bayelsa Queens, no player attempted more than her in the game.
Sundowns goalkeeper Andile Dlamini was forced into making six saves during the game, from 7 shots on target for a save percentage rate of 86.
Lelona Daweti had four shots on target for Sundowns against Bayelsa Queens and managed to score from two of them. Four of Sundowns six shots on target in the game were attempted by her.
Sundowns will be looking to take a major step towards the Semi-finals by opening up the tournament with back- to- back wins for a second edition in a row. Victory will put the defending champions into the next phase should TP Mazembe not lose against Bayelsa Queens.
Wadi Degla
The Egyptian club making their second appearance at the tournament lost their opening game 1-0 to TP Mazembe of the DR Congo, they conceded a 7th minute goal scored by Merveille Kanjinga.
Wadi Degla are now on a three- game run at the CAF WCL Finals without a win, since their opening game win in 2021 over Malian side AS Mandé which was a 3-1 triumph they have gone winless at the tournament.
Wadi Degla’s three game winless run at the tournament (D1 L2), has seen them lose their second group game against Malabo Kings in 2021 as they suffered a 0-3 reverse. They then drew their final group game against Hasaacas Ladies 2-2 in 2021, before losing their opening game at the current tournament to TP Mazembe.
Wadi Degla have conceded at least one goal in each of their four games at the CAF WCL Finals, they are yet to keep a clean sheet at the Finals.
Should they fail to win Wadi Degla will be the first team to pass through four games in a row at the CAF WCL Finals without a win.
Should they lose the game Wadi Degla would lose consecutive games at the CAF WCL finals for the first time, as well as lose their opening two games for the first time in addition.
Should Wadi Degla not win it would be the first time that they would not win a game inside their opening two matches at a finals.
Victory for Wadi Degla will be their first at the tournament since winning their opening game on home soil against AS Mandé in 2021, it will also be their first win at the finals outside of their home country Egypt.
Wadi Degla had more of the possession 56.2% in their opening game against TP Mazembe and also completed more passes 353 to 256 than their opponents during their opening game loss.
Basant Abdelaziz completed a game high 39 passes for Wadi Degla in their opening game against TP Mazembe.
Wadi Degla’s Maya Abouelwafa managed to make 11 recoveries of the ball against TP Mazembe, the most by any of the Egyptian teams players in the game.
In their opening game Wadi Degla’s Basant Abdelaziz and teammate Asmaa Mohamed combined for 14 passes no two players linked up in their game against TP Mazembe more than they did.
Source: Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF)