The pair of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana, Hilda Magaia and Sinoxolo Cesane, have been unveiled by Mazatlán Futbol Club Femenil in the Mexican Women’s League (Liga MX Femenil) as their new signings.
With the arrival of the duo in that country, the number of South Africans now playing in the Liga MX Femenil swells up to four, in addition to Jermaine Seoposenwe who runs out for FC Monterey, while Thembi Kgatlana was recently announced by current league champions Tigres UANL.
This will be good news for the Head Coach of the South African Senior Women’s National Team, Desiree Ellis, as the team has a tricky assignment next month, taking on Tanzania in the penultimate round of the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifier, with the fourth and final round scheduled for April.
The presence of Magaia in Mexico means Banyana Banyana’s lethal strike force that did duty at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – along with Seoposenwe and Kgatlana – is now playing together in the same league.
Kgatlana was signed in December last year and will be playing alongside Spain’s World Cup winning forward Jenni Hermoso who was unveiled by Tigres on New Year’s Day.
Born in Dennilton, South Africa, Magaia joins Mazatlán after spending the 2022/23 season at Sejong Sportstoto in South Korea.
Previously, she was at the University of Pretoria and also at the Tshwane University of Technology before moving in 2021 to Sweden where she wore the colours of Moron BK.
She played a crucial role to help Banyana Banyana lift their maiden TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 2022 with three goals in the tournament – one against Nigeria in the group stages, and the other two coming in the final against host nation Morocco.
She did not stop there.
Magaia went on to register her first goal in her debut FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament, but that was not enough to avoid a 2-1 defeat to Sweden in South Africa’s opening match of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
She was also named in the initial list of 30 players for the CAF Woman Player of the Year, but did not make the shortlist.
Cesane has been based in the USA since 2020 and recently graduated from the East Tennessee State University. She was also playing club football for Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Before moving abroad, she was on the books of the University of the Western Cape, but prior to that she made a name for herself, together with her twin sister, Noxolo Cesane, when they helped Cape Town Roses to a treble in 2014 – winning the Western Cape Sasol League, the Coke Cup and the Sasol League National Play-offs.
The set of twins has represented South Africa at all levels – U17, U20 and Banyana Banyana, with Sinoxolo receiving her first Senior call-up last year in September in the two friendly matches against the USA in Cincinnati and Chicago.
It remains to be seen if head coach José Alonso Madrigal will include the pair of Magaia and Sinoxolo in the matchday squad on Saturday (6 January 2024) for the first fixture of the season when they host Pachuca.
However their services will come in handy as the team has been struggling, finishing bottom of the table last season.
In addition to the South Africans, Mazatlán Futbol Club Femenil has bolstered the squad with a few more signings to avoid the struggles of the past.
Magaia and Cesane will however have to wait a little while before facing their Banyana Banyana teammates in the domestic league.
Mazatlan takes on Kgatlana’s Tigres UANL in March – after the Olympic qualifiers against Tanzania – while Seoposenwe’s FC Monterey lie in wait only in April.
ABOUT THE CLUB:
- Mazatlán Futbol Club Femenil is a Mexican professional women’s football club based in Mazatlán, Sinaloa currently playing in Liga MX Femenil.
- The club was established in June 2020 after the Monarcas Morelia franchise announced that it would be moving to the city of Mazatlán
- On 2 June 2020 it was officially announced that Monarcas Morelia was moving to Mazatlán and that it would be rebranded as Mazatlán Futbol Club
- On June 8, Mazatlán unveiled its crest and colours
- The team colours are purple, black and white
- The move of the entire club structure led to the creation of the Mazatlán women’s team
- As part of the new team, the board appointed Jessica Castañeda as the director, who became the second woman with a managerial position in the Liga MX Femenil clubs
- On July 19, 2020 it was announced that the women’s team will share the Estadio de Mazatlán with the men’s branch of the club.
| Mazatlán Femenil | |
| Full name | Mazatlán Fútbol Club Femenil |
| Nickname(s) | Las Cañoneras |
| Founded | June 2, 2020; 4 years ago |
| Ground | Estadio de Mazatlán Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Owner | Grupo Salinas |
| Chairman | Mauricio Lanz González |
| Manager | José Alonso Madrigal |
| League | Liga MX Femenil |
| Clausura 2023 | 18th |
| Website | Club website |
By Matlhomola Morake
