Africans go head to head as SL Benfica face SC Braga in Portuguese final

Christy Ucheibe and Jolina Amani will lead SL Benfica out against South Africa's Jermaine Seoposenwe's SC Braga in the 2019-20 Portuguese League Cup final at the Aveiro Municipal Stadium on Wednesday.

The meeting will be the fifth between the two teams in all competitions since the first in 2019, when Braga claimed a 2-1 victory, but Benfica have celebrated three wins in four meetings.

To book a final spot, Benfica emerged leaders on the log with two wins and one draw in three matches, wrapping up with a 4-0 thrashing of city rivals CF Benfica in February. 

Benfica will be without South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana, who was pivotal in the progress to the final before moving to Spain and SD Eibar earlier this year, but can count on Nigeria's Ucheibe and Cape Verde's Amani.

The African duo Ucheibe and Amani have been impressive for The Eagles this season, contributing three and four goals respectively.

On the other hand, Braga finished second in the four-team group, with two wins in three games, including a 3-0 win over Sporting CP to book their final spot.

When the two finalists met in the group stage, Benfica ran out 3-1 winners.

Miguel Santos will miss the services of departed Nigeria's Chinaza Uchendu, Sierra Leone's Shade Pratt and Cameroon's Farida Machia, but can only rely on South Africa's Seoposenwe.

Seoposenwe will be eager to record her first title success for Braga on her debut season, as will Ucheibe and Amani for SL Benfica.

Wednesday's final will be a preamble to January 13's final of the 2019/2020 Portuguese Women's Cup, where both Braga and Benfica will meet again at the same venue, giving Seoposenwe, Ucheibe and Amani the chance to complete a cup double within a week.