Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies recorded their first victory at the 2026 CAF Women's Champions League finals after securing a hard-fought 2-1 win over Cameroonian side Lekie Football Girls at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia, Egypt, on Wednesday.

The victory was an important result for the South African champions, who had started their campaign with a draw against FC Masar. The three points take Sundowns Ladies to the top of Group A with four points from two matches, while Lekie Football Girls remain at the bottom of the group without a point after suffering their second defeat.

Coach Godfrey Sapula made three changes to the team that started against FC Masar. Asanda Hadebe came into the starting line-up in place of Khutso Pila, while Amanda Mthandi replaced Wendy Shongwe. Nthabiseng Majiya also started ahead of Isabella Ludwig as Sundowns looked to secure their first win of the competition.

The former African champions started brightly and almost opened the scoring inside the first five minutes. Ronnel Donnelly capitalised on a poor clearance from the Cameroonian defence, but her effort struck the upright.

Lekie thought they had taken the lead in the eighth minute through Ajara Nchout, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Both teams continued searching for an opening, although neither side managed to create many clear opportunities during the early stages.

Sundowns eventually broke the deadlock in the 40th minute. Donnelly played an important role in the move before setting up Refilwe Tholakele, who finished calmly to give the South African side a 1-0 advantage.

Donnelly had opportunities to extend the lead before the break but failed to convert. Sundowns also had a goal from Bambanani Mbane ruled out for offside earlier in the half.

The second half saw Sundowns continue searching for another goal, with Majiya and Donnelly both testing the Lekie goalkeeper. Substitute Lelona Daweti also came close shortly after coming on, but her effort went just over the crossbar.

However, Lekie refused to give up and managed to find an equaliser six minutes before the end of normal time. Nchout provided the assist for Makoma Shalom, who brought the Cameroonian side back into the match.

Sundowns responded almost immediately. Just two minutes after Lekie's equaliser, Karabo Dlamini delivered a dangerous ball that forced Makana Yakana into scoring an own goal, restoring the South African champions' advantage.

The late goal proved decisive as Sundowns held on to secure all three points.

Sapula's team will now turn its attention to Saturday's final Group A fixture against Moroccan side FUS Rabat. Another positive result could strengthen their position as they look to progress further in the competition and challenge for another continental title.

Source: IDiskiTimes