Hilda Magaia and Sinoxolo Cesane have made their much-awaited debut for new side Mazatlán FC Femenil in the Liga MX Femenil in Mexico, but could not help their side in a 4-1 defeat away to Club Tijuan on Match-Day 2 2 of the league season on Friday, 12 January 2024.
Magaia played the entire match while Cesane was withdrawn in the 77th minute.
Interestingly, it was Mazatlán FC that broke the deadlock as they took the lead just five minute into the match – but from there it was downhill as they could not hold on, conceding two goals either side of the half.
The South African pair duo was unveiled on 3 January this year, and missed out on another drubbing in the opening match of 2024 – going down 5-0 to Pachuca (Saturday, 6 January).
Mazatlán FC finished bottom of the table last season and despite some new signings, seems not to have managed to stop the bad run of results from 2023.
In the Mexican Women’s Football League, Magaia and Cesane join compatriots and Banyana Banyana teammates Jermaine Seoposenwe who is on the books of FC Monterrey, as well as Thembi Kgatlana who is a new recruit with the reigning league champions, Tigres UANL.
Seoposenwe’s FC Monterrey got off to a good start, winning their first league match 1-0 against Puebla (Saturday, 6 January 2024), while Kgatlana made her Mexican debut the next day (Sunday, 7 January) in a 1-0 victory over Atletico San Luis.
Both players are back in action this weekend with Tigres away to Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, also known as UNAM on Saturday (13 January), with Monterrey also on the road to Pachuca on Sunday (14 January).
Magaia and Cesane’s Mazatlán FC, which is bottom of the 18-team table, will visit Cruz Azul on Tuesday (16 January) for Match-Day 3.
By Matlhomola Morake
