AS FAR are first-time CAF Women’s Champions League winners after beating holders Mamelodi Sundowns 4-0 on the night at Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah on Sunday.
The Moroccan and South African giants made an even start to the final rematch at the same venue their national teams met in July, with Chuene Morifi and Bambanani Mbane’s long-range efforts in the fifth minute moments before Jraidi’s attempt.
Zanele Nhlapho brought Zineb Redouani down inside the area to gift the hosts a penalty and Fatima Tagnaout made no mistakes converting from the spot to open the scoring for ASFAR in the 15th minute.
Having found themselves behind for the first time in consecutive editions, the miseries of Jerry Tshabalala’s ladies were further compounded when Rhoda Mulaudzi was handed the marching order on the half-hour mark after a poor challenge on Redouani.
The hosts threatened to double their lead through Ahmamou Douha but her weak effort inside the area could not trouble keeper Andile Dlamini four minutes from the half-time break.
The Moroccans came back into the contest on a high as they almost earned their second of the match when Aziza Rabbah’s header came off the crossbar three minutes after the restart.
The South Africans were further reduced to nine players after captain Nhlapho picked her second booking of the match following a poor challenge on Redouani in the 52nd minute.
The second breakthrough came for Mohamed Amine Alioua’s ladies from the resulting freekick when Tagnaout brilliantly teed up Jraidi to power home from inside the area two minutes later.
Despite being two-player down, the South Africans pushed for a comeback through Lelona Daweti and Melinda but the duo could not make the best of their half chances.
The hosts were not done yet as Jraidi fired past Dlamini to notch the third in the 87th minute before bagging the treble at the death to complete the rout in sweet revenge for the Atlas Lionesses Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title loss to Banyana Banyana in July.
Meanwhile, AS FAR forward Ibtissam Jraidi was named Woman of the Match for the third time in the competition, following her remarkable treble that inspired her side to a ruthless triumph over the Cup holders.
Facts About 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League:
•AS FAR 4 Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies 0
AS FAR are the second team to win the CAF WCL after Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies who did so in 2021.
•AS FAR are the first host club to win the CAF WCL title.
•AS FAR are the first North African club to win the title.
•This is the first time at the CAF WCL Finals that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies lost a game, seeing their 9 -game unbeaten run come to an end (W7 D2).
•This is the third game at the CAF WCL finals that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies had failed to score a goal, the other occasions were when they drew 0-0 with AS FAR and Malabo Kings in 2021 at the group stages and the Semi-finals respectively.
•This game represents the first time that Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies had conceded more than one goal in a game at the finals.
•This was the second meeting between AS FAR and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies at the CAF WCL Finals, the Moroccans kept their second clean sheet and remained undefeated against them (D1), the teams played out a 0-0 draw at the 2021 group stages.
•This is the biggest win by a team in a CAF WCL Final, in 2021 Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies defeated Hasaacas Ladies 2-0.
•Fatima Tagnaout’s opening goal from the penalty spot was the first time that Mamelodi Sundowns had conceded the first goal in a game at the CAF WCL Finals, it was the first time that they had ever trailed in a game at the finals. This being their 10th game at the tournament.
•Ibtissam Jraïdi scorer of AS FAR’s second, third and fourth goals netted her fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the tournament, the most goals by a player from AS FAR at the finals. She is also the first player to score in four different games at the finals.
•Ibtissam Jraïdi is the first player to score six goals in a single edition of the CAF WCL Finals, overtaking Evelyn Badu who scored five in 2021.
Both of the hat tricks scored at the CAF WCL Finals have been scored by players from AS FAR, Ibtissam Jraïdi joins Sanaâ Mssoudy as the only two players to have managed such a feat.
•Mssoudy netted three goals in a 3-0 win for AS FAR against Rivers Angels in their opening game in 2021.
•Fatima Tagnaout had three goal involvements in this game making two assists and scoring a goal.
•All three of the goals scored at the tournament by Tagnaout have come from the penalty spot.
•Overall Tagnaout has had six goal involvements in the tournament scoring three goals and making three assists.
•Tagnaout assisted half of the six goals that Jraïdi scored in the tournament, setting up three of her goals.
•This is the biggest win managed by any team in a knockout round game at the CAF WCL Finals, AS FAR are also the first team to score four goals in a knockout game at the CAF WCL Finals.
•At the 2022 CAF WCL Finals the first three knockout games produced three goals, this game surpassed that total producing four goals.
•In all of the knockout round games only the winning team has managed to score.
•AS FAR kept their fourth clean sheet of the tournament.
•AS FAR scored 10 goals at the 2022 CAF WCL Finals conceding one goal, while Sundowns scored 12 but let in five.
•Starting with their third-place play-off win against Malabo Kings in 2021, AS FAR have now won their last six games in a row at the CAF WCL finals. They are the first team to win six games in a row in open play at the tournament.
• Having not conceded a goal in the 2021 edition Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies conceded five in the current tournament.
•AS FAR goalkeeper Khadija Errmichi kept four clean sheets in the tournament conceding just one goal. She was named goalkeeper of the tournament.
•This is AS FAR’s biggest win at the CAF WCL Finals; it is the first time they managed to score four goals in a game.
•Just one game at the 2021 edition of the CAF WCL Finals saw a team win a game by four or more goals, the 2022 edition saw four games where a team managed to win by a margin of four or more goals.
•AS FAR’s Women’s team joins their men’s team who were crowned winners of the African Club of Champions Cup in 1985.
•This is now AS FAR’s third major continental title as a club; their men’s team won the African Club of Champions Cup in 1985 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2005.
•All three major CAF Club titles belong to Moroccan clubs with Wydad Casablanca holding the CAF Champions League title and RS Berkane the current CAF Confederation Cup defending champions.
•This was the fourth time that Mamelodi Sundowns had a club in a CAF Club competition final, along with their men’s team who reached the 2001 and 2016 CAF Champions League Finals.
•It was the second time that Sundowns had lost a continental final in either the men’s or women’s competition, their men’s team lost to Al Ahly of Egypt in the 2001 CAF Champions League Final.
•Source:
CAF/@ZealPlusX