Photo Credit: CAF Women's Football/Twitter
DR Congo giants TP Mazembe got their 2024 CAF Women's Champions League campaign off to a perfect start with the Ravens emerging victorious by a 2-0 score over South Africa's UWC Ladies to kick off the competition in Morocco. Lacho Marta opened the scoring for the UNIFFAC regional champions around the hour mark before Merveille Kanjinga doubled the lead later in the second half to complete a comfortable victory in El Jadida, Morocco. Mazembe will next face Group A favorites and host club AS FAR of Morocco on Tuesday while UWC Ladies clash with Senegal's Aigles de la Médina.
Opportunities were few and far between for UWC Ladies who were physically dominated and depended on their defense to remain in the match. Marta appeared to open the scoring by heading in a 23rd minute cross but the offside flag cut short the celebrations.
The pressure increased on uDubs, who surprisingly put the ball into the Mazembe goal in the 57th minute but Tiffany Kortjie was clearly offsides after being played in behind the defense. A few minutes later Mazembe struck through Marta who blocked a clearance attempt by the UWC defense before receiving a pass and finishing low past goalkeeper Thandeka Ngcobo.
Mazembe continued to assert themselves and the 77th minute saw them put the result beyond doubt. Excellent work from Marta on the right flank gave her space to float an accurate cross to the far post where Kanjinga towered above the UWC defense for a header that was too powerful for Ngcobo to keep out.
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