The South African pair of Linda Motlhalo and Bongeka Gamede has signed new contracts at their respective European clubs.
Brandvlei-born midfield maestro Motlhalo has penned an extension that will keep her at Glasgow City until June 2027, while compatriot ‘Sma’ will continue donning the colours of Nordsjaelland Women for the next two years.
This is Linda’s second stint with the Scottish side where she won the league title in the 2022/23 season before leaving for Racing Louisville in the USA. But she made a return in February last year and has become an integral member of the squad – they sit five points at the top of the table and look certain to win the league title and book their place in the next edition of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. City has also been in scintillating form this season as they have to juggle between league and cup competitions.
“We are delighted to announce that South African international Linda Motlhalo has extended her stay at Glasgow City, signing a new contract which will run until the summer of 2027. Across her two spells with The Original Trailblazers, having returned in February 2025, our No.20 has made 71 appearances and was part of our ScottishPower Women’s Premier League title-winning squad in 2022/23,” said City in a statement.
Motlhalo has made 21 appearances since her return to the club – seven of those in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup.
“I have extended my stay in Glasgow because I have always said that it is a home. We are a family here more than anything, and that is important for me. The biggest thing is happiness, and I’m happy here so that’s why I wanted to stay,” Motlhalo told her club’s media team.
“What do I hope to achieve? It’s very simple – it’s about winning the league. That’s the biggest thing for me. Last season, we came up short when in the cup competitions, so winning those cup games has to be the aim for us now, as well.”
Motlhalo will be in action this weekend (Saturday, 31 January 2026) when they visit Hibernian in the semi-final of the Scottish Women’s Premier League Cup (also known as the Sky Sports Cup) – with the winner facing the victors in the other last four clash between Rangers and Celtic.
In Denmark, Gamede signed a two-year deal with Nordsjaelland Women after initially joining the club in November 2024 from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in the Hollywoodbets Super League in South Africa.
“The South African defender has signed a contract extension, so she can now be found in Farum until 2028. An extension that did not require much consideration,” said a statement from her employers.
“Since her debut less than a year ago, Bongeka Gamede has been a rock-solid central defender, impressing with great goals and reaching 38 matches in the red shirt. And we can look forward to much more from ‘Sma’ in the coming years.”
The 25-year-old Ixopo-born defender played her first official fixture for the Danish outfit against Esbjerg Women in a cup competition in March 2025 and has not looked back since.
“I have felt why this organization is called Right to Dream ever since I arrived at FC Nordsjælland, living by it every single day. It is a really good club to be a part of, and even though it is a very young team, it feels like being part of a team that is both experienced and very brave on the pitch. It has been fantastic to be a part of. In my first season, the team did well, and I also think that I personally fit in well with the team and performed reasonably well,” she told her club’s website.
“It has also been a year full of learning, and when I extend my contract, it is also because I feel sure that there is a lot more to learn at this club. I love everything about this team, and I am sure that my next years here at the club will contain lots of new knowledge and fantastic memories. And hopefully also a gold medal.”
While Gamede and company are not doing well in the league – they lie in fifth position after 14 games in the eight-team league (and may miss out on Champions League next season) – she is the only South African left in European competition.
They are currently involved in friendly matches but will travel to Germany next month (11 February 2026) for a first leg date with Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarterfinal of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup.
Both Gamede and Motlhalo will be vital for their country in the upcoming CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 in Morocco.
The women’s premier continental competition runs from 17 March to 3 April and the top four nations from the 16 participants will book their ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana will be hoping to make it three tournaments in a row after qualifying for France 2019 and Australia 2023 in the global competition.
By Matlhomola Morake
