Rabalao: We Can Emulate The Men's Team
By Malose Wa Ga Lamola
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies side technical staff went into the COSAFA region Caf Women’s Champions League (CWCL) qualifiers with a huge goalkeeping crisis.
Banyana Banyana international, Andile Dlamini and Botswana goalie Sedilame Boseja, were out due to injuries. With the former having been out for some time owing to an injury and the latter went under the knife before the tournament commences. The two experienced campaigners' absence left coaches with only Asa Rabalao as the only option to put on the gloves and put strikers at bay.
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Rabalao had to step up and not only fill in the big shoes of the duo but tie her laces too tight. The lanky shot-stopper says going into a tournament of this magnitude without a back-up goalkeeper on the bench was a bit of a setback to the team. “At some point it was a bit difficult thinking if I get injured who is going to be the back-up for me. But, because I am a team player and brave I made sure I protect myself and with the help of the team they made things easier for me. That also built my confidence to fight with the team till the last whistle.” Confirmed Rabalao.
Sundowns consistency in the Hollywoodbets Super League made things a bit easy for the Chloorkop based outfit. Sitting comfortably at the summit of the log standings meant Sundowns had no worries about the domestic league and their focus was solely on the job at hand, qualifying for Champions League finals. The highly confident Rabalao says Sundowns knew what was at stake “Yes, it (position on the standings) had an impact. Knowing that we on top of the log made things easy for us and reduced the pressure of having to think about the domestic league.”
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Rabalao says the dominance in the domestic league brought pressures of its own. “We also had big shoes to fit. We couldn't be the team that win every game in the league and go out there and lose in COSAFA CAF qualifiers. It also reminded us that we are the champions, we need to act like one in each and every game that we play and give our best.” Added Rabalao.
The level of competition in the tournament wasn’t too different to that of the local league, though, Rabalao insists the group stages were a bit easier compared to the knockout phase of the qualifiers. “In the group stages it wasn't that hard. It was more like teams that are at the bottom of the log, but they also gave a good account of themselves. The semi-finals were a bit hard and frustrating because we wanted to score goals, but they decided to sit back, so they don't concede more goals. In the final they tried to compete with us, and we stacked to our game plan. Played simple and never competed with them 50/50 because they are more physical, and we are good at playing, we did just that and managed to win the game 3-0.” Elaborated Rabalao.
Coach Agnes Nkosi took the reins and led the team during the course of the qualifiers. Rabalao says Nkosi and coach Jerry Tshabalala have worked together for quite some time and the two are too similar. “There was no much difference because they've been working together for a while, and they know the team's style of play. The difference between them is that coach Jerry is more vocal and coach Agnes is calm but other than that we worked very well with coach Agnes. We made sure we book our spot in Egypt for CAF Women Champions League.” Said Rabalao.
Qualifying for the Women’s CAF Champions League will pit Sundowns against the best on the continent. Rabalao believes Banyana Ba Style has what it takes to emulate the men’s side and conquer the continent. “Yes, we have what it takes to conquer the continent. We enjoy playing with competitive teams and that helps us win games even when we travel on the continent. Because, we get to compete and give out our best in the field of play. We have it all, and we are ready to conquer the continent.”
When Dr Patrice Motsepe became the solo owner of Mamelodi Sundowns, he made his intentions clear, that he wants to conquer the African continent. Bafana Ba Style has put a star above the club’s badge and now the honours are with the women’s side to do likewise. Though, Rabalao admits the women’s side is eager to emulate their male counterparts, but she says there is no much pressure in doing so.
“We don't have much pressure, but all eyes are on us. We're not only doing this for the team but the whole country. We just don't want to disappoint anyone, starting with us, because winning CAF women Champions League will be a ticket for us to change our lives and open more opportunities for us and the upcoming generation.” Rabalao maintains.
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The experience within the team played a huge role in calming nerves of debutantes in the regional tournament. Rabalao says the tournament was an eye-opener for the first timers to what they must anticipate at the main tournament. “Yes, it played a big role, because already they've been representing the country, so they already know the feeling of playing international. It also boasts the team's confidence when they give out a good performance and lifting the team spirit. They also give other players confidence to say they can also make it to the top and represent the country some day.” Concluded Rabalao.
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