Banyana Banyana players Linda Motlhalo and Bongeka Gamede were on the scoresheet for their respective teams in the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, leading them to comfortable victories, while Chuene Morifi’s side managed a draw on Wednesday night (10 September 2025).
The three players made history by being the first South Africans to play in the newly-introduced women’s section of the competition – which has just played its first edition.
The trio played in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, losing their games and falling into the Europa Women’s Cup phase.
Gamede, who played the full match, opened the scoring for her Danish side Nordsjaelland Women in the 54th minute against KuPS Kuopio from Finland in the first leg of their second qualifying round. Anna Walter (75’) and Laila El Behery (85’) sealed the 3-1 victory with their strikes either side of Gamede’s goal.
In the second leg, Nordsjaelland Women travel to Finland, with the clash scheduled for Wednesday, 17 September.
Motlhalo found the back of the net in the 54th minute for Glasgow City against Ireland’s Athlone Town. This was her club’s second on the night and her first of the season. The Scottish outfit won 3-0, with the other strikes coming from Amy Anderson (15’) and Lisa Forrest (60’).
The Banyana Banyana midfield maestro also lasted the entire match. Glasgow will be in Ireland for the return leg on Thursday, 18 September.
In Turkey, Chuene Morifi was introduced in the second half (74’) in her team’s clash against SFK 2000 Sarajevo from Bosnia Herzegovina, with the match ending goalless. The former Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies forward will be hoping for better results away.
The reverse fixture will take place also on Thursday, 18 September.
The overall winners in the first qualifying round progress to the second qualifying round of the EUFA Europa Women’s Cup and the draw for this phase will be held on Friday, 19 September in Nyon, Switzerland.
Teams proceeding from this round will qualify for the last 16.
| 2nd qualifying round | Draw: 19 Sep 25 | ||
| 1st Leg: 7/8 Oct 25 | 2nd Leg: 15/16 Oct 25 | ||
| Round of 16 | Draw: 17 Oct 25 | ||
| 1st Leg: 11/12 Nov 25 | 2nd Leg: 19/20 Nov 25 | ||
| Quarterfinals | Draw: 17 Oct 25 | ||
| 1st Leg: 11/12 Feb 26 | 2nd Leg: 18/19 Feb 26 | ||
| Semi-finals | Draw: 17 Oct 25 | ||
| 1st Leg: 24/25 March 26 | 2nd Leg: 1/2 March 26 | ||
| Final – Two Legs | Draw: 17 Oct 25 | ||
| 1st Leg: 25/26 April 26 | 2nd Leg: 2/3 May 26 |
Fact file:
Format
- Similarly to the UEFA Europa League in men’s football, clubs can enter the tournament both by virtue of their league position in the previous season or by elimination from early stages of the same season’s Champions League.
- It is a pure knock-out tournament with no group stage
- Every round, up to and including the final, will be played as a two-legged home-and-away tie
- The tournament will be contested by 44 clubs in total: 13 (thirteen) direct qualifiers from associations ranked 8–13 and 18–24 based on domestic league placement in the previous season plus 31 (thirty-one) teams eliminated in the first and second qualifying rounds of the same season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League.
By Matlhomola Morake
