Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies made a solid start to their 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League campaign by holding Egyptian hosts Masar to a 0-0 draw at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia on Sunday afternoon.

The Brazilians went into the Group A opener as one of the favourites after winning the COSAFA qualifiers in Botswana in August. They came into the match knowing they needed a strong result against the hosts, who had beaten them 1-0 when the two sides met in the 2024 edition of the tournament. Sundowns controlled large parts of the game and created more chances, but they could not find a way past the Masar defence.

According to match statistics, Sundowns enjoyed 70 percent of the possession and fired 27 shots at goal compared to just two from the home side. Despite the pressure, the South African champions were unable to convert their opportunities, and both teams settled for a point after a hard-fought 90 minutes. Goalkeeper Andile Dlamini and the Sundowns backline kept another clean sheet, continuing the defensive form that has served them well in domestic competition this season.

The result leaves both sides with one point from their opening match. Sundowns will now prepare for their next Group A fixture against Cameroon’s Lekié Football Girls on Wednesday, before facing Morocco’s FUS Rabat in their final group game on Saturday. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, so the Brazilians know they still have work to do if they want to reach the knockout stages.

Sundowns are chasing a third continental title after winning the competition in 2021 and 2023. They qualified for this year’s tournament by beating Zambia’s ZESCO Ndola Girls 2-1 in the COSAFA final, with Refilwe Tholakele scoring both goals. The entire tournament is being staged in Egypt from 1 to 15 November, with the final set to take place at the same Ismailia venue.

While the goalless draw was not the perfect start many supporters had hoped for, the away point against the hosts gives Sundowns a useful foundation. Coach Godfrey Sapula and his players will now look to improve their finishing in the coming matches as they chase a place in the semi-finals and another shot at African glory.

Source: https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2116938322614378793