Two-time African champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Malawi’s Silver Strikers sealed their places in the semi-finals of the CAF Women’s Champions League | Cosafa Qualifier Botswana 2026 on Tuesday.
Sundowns defeated Costa do Sol of Mozambique to finish top of Group B, while Silver Strikers were too good for Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs and advanced in second place.
Sundowns will meet defending champions Gaborone United in the second semi-final at 19h00 CAT (17h00 GMT) today in a blockbuster clash between two heavyweights of the competition.
Sundowns will want to make up for their semi-final loss to Zesco Ndola Girls last year, but Gaborone United have proved tough opponents in their three years competing in the tournament and are hunting a third successive final appearance.
Zesco take on Silver Strikers in the first semi-final at 16h00 CAT in a fixture that is perhaps tougher to call, and another battle between old foes Zambia and Malawi on the Cosafa stage.
Zesco were beaten finalists last year and perhaps have the greater experience, but Silver Strikers have shown enough in this tournament to suggest they can be a match for anyone.
Sundowns confirmed top spot in Group B with a 4-1 win over Costa do Sol in their final pool encounter at the Gaborone United Stadium on Tuesday.
It was another comfortable outing for The Brazilians as goals from Asanda Hadebe, Wendy Shongwe, Ronnel Donnelly and Melinda Kgadiete sealed victory.
Lucia Moçambique scored directly from a corner for Costa do Sol to take her tally in the tournament to four goals and move into the outright lead in the Golden Boot race.
Sundowns collected a full haul of nine points from their three group games, though they conceded for the first time in the tournament.
Earlier, Silver Strikers defeated Nsingizini Hotspurs 5-1 to make it two wins from three in pool play.
Carolyne Mathyola netted a hat-trick, while there were further strikes from Grace Kakangula and Gladys Banda.
Lucia Gaonwe grabbed a consolation for Nsingizini Hotspurs with her second goal of the tournament, but the Eswatini side bowed out with three successive defeats.
The semi-finals will be streamed live on Fifa+ and Cosafa’s Youtube channel to a global audience.
