KANSAS CITY (August 13, 2024) –– For the first time ever, the Women’s Cup will make a stop at CPKC Stadium as the Kansas City Current welcomes four top clubs from around the world to Kansas City. The club will face South African club Mamelodi Sundowns in the tournament’s semifinals on Wednesday, August 14 at 8:00 p.m. CT. The game will follow the first semifinal between Atlético de Madrid (Spain) and INAC Kobe Leonessa (Japan) on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. CT. Both games will be broadcast on VIZIO WatchFree+, channel 1301. Kansas City fans can listen to Dave Borchardt and Jillian Carroll Letrinko commentating on the game live on 90.9 The Bridge or on the KC Current app in English and Portuguese.

The Kansas City edition of this international tournament connects four continents as the Current concludes the club’s International Summer of Soccer with another high-level competition. For the Women’s Cup final, CPKC Stadium will host a second doubleheader on Saturday, August 17, at 5 and 8 p.m. CT, with a third-place match preceding the final between the semifinal winners.

This is Current’s second opportunity to play international titles this summer. Last week, Kansas City defeated North Carolina Courage 2-0 in the semifinals of the NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup. Two minutes into the semifinals on August 6, striker Temwa Chawinga followed midfielder Debinha’s blocked shot and fired the ball into the net, giving Kansas City a 1-0 lead. In the second half, Current again extended its lead with help from Debinha. This time it was Chawinga’s blocked shot and Debinha took advantage of the opportunity to score her fourth goal of the tournament. The goal moves Debinha one point behind the tournament’s Golden Boot leader, Aisha Solórzano of Club Tijuana. She has now scored in Current’s last three matches in all competitions.

For Mamelodi, the domestic campaign in the 2024 SAFA Women’s League was equally successful. The club leads the league by 23 points over the second-placed team, having conceded just 12 goals in 20 matches. In Mamelodi’s final match before the overseas trip, Sundowns defeated Copperbelt 3-2 to snap a six-match winning streak. Sundowns striker Miche Minnies scored her ninth goal of the season in the 28th minute of that match to level the score at 1-1. Although Copperbelt pulled away at half-time, defender Karabo Makhurubetshi and striker Lelona Daweti secured the win for Sundowns by scoring a goal each.

BANYANA BA STYLE: THE SUNSET PATH
With six titles in the SAFA Women’s League, South Africa’s premier league, Sundowns are the most successful women’s club in the country. Founded in 2009, the women’s team already has a distinct identity, including the nickname ‘Banyana Ba Style’, which means ‘girls with style’, which is due to the club’s unique approach and skilful play. With 80 goals in the club’s first 20 games of the season, Sundowns are poised for another shot at the title that Mamelodi has won every year since 2019. Last year, the team also won two more trophies in the COSAFA and CAF Champions’ Leagues.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alana Cook, Kansas City Current defender – The two-time finalist for NWSL Defender of the Year began her time with Kansas City as sharp and precise as ever, recording three interceptions and accurate passes (56) in the Current’s final game – the most on the team. Cook joined Kansas City in August and became an anchor for the Current’s summer play, rounding out the back line during the semifinal match on August 6. Her prowess on and off the ball has secured her a spot as one of the NWSL’s best defenders since joining the league.

Boitumelo Rabale, Mamelodi Sundowns forward – Rabale is the already high-scoring team’s top scorer and a constant threat up front. He scored a hat-trick on July 7, taking Sundowns’ tally to 11 goals in the regular season. The striker, who was named the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League Player of the Tournament, is part of the Lesotho national team and spent time playing in the United States before joining Sundowns in 2021.

THE WOMEN’S CUP
This will be the sixth edition of the Women’s Cup and the third mini-tournament in 2024. Juventus and Palmeiras of Brazil will face off for the championship of the cup round in Louisville on August 13, along with NY/NJ Gotham FC, which won a Women’s Cup competition in Colombia in March. The winners of this year’s four tournaments will finally face off in a masters tournament at a site to be determined for another Women’s Cup title. The tournament began in 2021 and was hosted in Louisville with the goal of increasing international club competition. Since its inception, more than ten different countries have participated, with The Current being the fifth NWSL club to participate.

JULY BEST XI
Three Current players were named to the NWSL Best XI presented by Amazon Prime in July: midfielders Lo’eau LaBonta and Debinha and forward Kristen Hamilton. With the additional nominations in June, a total of six Current players made the final selection this summer based on impressive performances in international play. As Current’s captain, LaBonta played every possible minute on the field and scored a wonder goal in the Summer Cup opening match on July 20 against Houston. In the same match, Hamilton scored twice with a goal and an assist and repeated the pattern on July 27 against Pachuca, becoming the first Summer Cup player to record a goal and an assist in back-to-back games. Debinha also played all 270 minutes in July, scoring twice against Pachuca in a 3-0 victory over the Liga MX Femenil team.