Despite suffering a 2-1 shock defeat against Richmond Ladies in the final of the Dlala Ntombazana pre-season tournament on Sunday, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies midfielder Thalea Smidt is pleased with the trip to Bloemfontein and the performance of the team
The Women’s African champions are serial winners, and many of the players were clearly disappointed after the final whistle at Mangaung Outdoor Centre, Rocklands.
But, Smidt has urged her teammates not to be too hard on themselves as the tournament helped them gauge their readiness for the new campaign.
At the end of the day, it is a pre-season tournament,” said Smidt, who walked away with the Player of The Tournament award.
“We play, we learn, we go back to the drawing board, and we improve. This is not a time for us to drop our heads. We came into the tournament to learn and do better as a team and assess where we are. And we now know where to fix ahead of the new season.
“I don’t think the girls should be hard on themselves, just thankful that we got invited here, and it was quite good and fun,” she concluded.
Sundowns Ladies beat First Touch Ladies 3-0 in the first semifinal of the four-team tournament, while Richmond edged Thunderbirds Ladies 1-0 to set up a final with the Tshwane giants.
Richmond were crowned champions after edging Sundowns Ladies in the final.
