AS FAR Beat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 to Retain Women's African Champions League
AS FAR have beaten Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 to keep the Women's African Champions League title, and they are the first team to defend it successfully. The final was played in Ismailia, Egypt.
To retain a title is to win it again the following year. It is harder than it sounds, because every other club in the competition arrives trying to take the trophy off you. AS FAR had done it once before, in 2022, when they beat Sundowns 4-0 in the final. This time the opponents were the same, and the scoreline was much closer.
Imane Touriss gave AS FAR the lead in the 23rd minute. Sundowns hit back quickly, though. Refilwe Tholakele equalised just two minutes later, and the game was level again within moments of AS FAR's breakthrough.
AS FAR did not stay level for long. Hiba Youssoufi put them back in front eight minutes before half-time. Her shot took a deflection off Asanda Hadebe on its way in, which left the Sundowns defender with no chance of stopping it.
The decisive goal came late. Touriss struck again to make it 3-1 with 13 minutes left, after work by Fatima Tagnaout. That was the goal that settled the final, and Touriss finished with two in the match.
Touriss had a strong tournament overall. BBC Sport reports that she won the golden boot, the award for the top scorer, with four goals. Ghizlane Chebbak was named player of the tournament, and Khadija Er-Rmichi won the golden glove for the best goalkeeper.
The path to the final was not smooth. AS FAR lost their opening game at the finals to Kawempe Muslim Ladies, a result that could have ended their hopes early. They recovered from that start to reach the decider and, in the end, to lift the trophy again.
The winners received $600,000 in prize money. Sundowns, who won the competition in 2021 and 2023, were beaten finalists this time.
For casual fans, the story is simple. A club picked itself up after a poor start, came back from a goal down in the final, and held on to its crown. For the players and supporters in Morocco and across the club, that counts for a lot. The men's and women's game both reward clubs that keep turning up at the top, and this is a team that has now done so in two different seasons.
AS FAR are now the first side to win the Women's African Champions League three times. It is a record that will stand as a marker for the competition for some time.
