Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa were crowned champions of the second edition of the CAF Under-17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) Zimbabwe 2025 after defeating Lishoeshoe from Lesotho 5-0 in the final at a wet Ngoni Stadium on Thursday.
Sundowns join Tanzanian side JKT Queens as winners of the regional trophy after the latter claimed victory in the inaugural edition played in the CECAFA region in January this year.
Sundowns were worthy winners of this latest instalment, scoring 30 goals and conceding just one in their four matches to finish with both the best attack and defence in the competition.
Captain Katlego Malebana opened the scoring inside three minutes from the penalty spot, while Nsovo Nxumalo, Busisiwe Mokoena, Lesego Tsatsi and Roshina Nair each added a goal for the South Africans.
The side was also represented in the individual awards, with attacker Munashe Mugwara walking away with the Player of the Tournament accolade.
The Goalkeeper of the Tournament award went to Mercy Mwale of Zambia’s Aguila Girls, while the Golden Boot award was shared between Luwinga Academy’s Tamandani Chilimba and Nancy Lebang of Okakarara Golden Ladies, who both scored eight goals. The Fair Play award went to silver medallists Lishoeshoe.
Zimbabwe’s Mpopoma Sports Academy took third place after defeating Aguila Girls 4-1 in the bronze medal match.
Shantel Gwenhamo was on the scoresheet for the side from Bulawayo, while Chiedza Khumalo scored a brace to finish the tournament with seven goals and Rejoice Chamunorwa contributed the fourth.
Beatrice Chipupula netted the consolation for the Zambian representatives, who finished fourth.
In total, 118 goals were scored in 16 matches, with thrilling football on display and valuable experience gained by the players involved.
CAF introduced the GIFT u17 tournament to give club teams in this age group the opportunity to compete against their peers across their region, complementing events already staged for national teams. CAF has made the growth of women’s football a key pillar of its development agenda, and this tournament provides young players with a platform to showcase their skills and gain vital experience.
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