Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have not rested on their laurels and have scooped the talented Cimone Sauls from JVW for the 2024 league season.
The treble champions – who won the COSAFA CAF Champions League qualifier, the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League as well as the Hollywoodbets Super League in 2023 – bring Sauls to an already experienced squad, and the Brazilians are believed to be in the market for further acquisitions, and will be making an announcement soon.
The JVW winger-cum-defender learnt her ropes at the Bedfordview-based club, which she joined at a tender age of 12 through the JVW ESCA Program, where she played in a boys league.
She was also part of the JVW squad that featured in the prestigious Dana Cup in Denmark in 2019, playing against international clubs.
Sauls, who had become an integral part of JVW’s Hollywoodbets Super League team, has already represented South Africa at all national team levels – U17, U20 and Banyana Banyana.
She will not be lost at Sundowns Ladies and will be rubbing shoulders with fellow national team players like Andile Dlamini, Karabo Dhlamini, Bambanani Mbane, Kholosa Biyana, Melinda Kgadiete and Lebogang Ramalepe, to mention a few.
Also leaving the JVW nest is Tiisang Leseyane – another product of the JVW development structures.
She has joined Hollywoodbets Super League not-so-new newcomers, the University of Pretoria (Tuks Ladies) where she will pursue her studies and football career.
Known as TC among her peers, Leseyane was also recruited at age 12, played in the Dana Cup, and was promoted to the first team – the Blue Diamonds.
She spent her school years competing in the JVW Girls School League for Waterstone College.
“We believe that both moves will assist with growth in their football careers and are proud that our visions of player pathways still serve as an instrumental tool to grow Women’s football,” said JVW in a statement.
At Sundowns Ladies, Sauls will be under the tutelage of the award-winning Jerry Tshabalala, while Leseyane will receive her instructions from former Banyana Banyana player Maud Khumalo who is leading the bench of Tuks Ladies.
“TC and Cimone have been successful graduates in the program and are the epitome of what JVW provides in terms of individual player development. They were patient and went through the correct pathway to reach their full potential at the club. We are extremely proud to have developed such talented individuals and would like to wish them all the best in their next endeavours,” said JVW FC co-founder and now assistant coach Janine van Wyk.
JVW is among the leading clubs when it comes to women’s football development and it is no surprise that they currently have four players in the South African U17 Women’s National Team (Bantwana) out in Ethiopia for a crucial first leg third round FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifier which will be played on Sunday, 4 February in the capital Addis Ababa.
The quartet, known as Young Diamonds – Julia Goncalves, Bonolo Mokoma, Katlego Mohale and Casey Gordon – have been joined by JVW assistant coach Unathi Mabena, who has been roped in to the Bantwana squad as the Performance Analyst alongside Head Coach Nthabeleng Modiko.
By Matlhomola Morake
