With the 2022 Hollywoodbets Super League title wrapped up, the battle for second place and relegation survival rages on.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies successfully retained the league trophy with four games to spare.
To date they have played 27 matches and will take a break from the campaign while they focus their attention on the defence of their CAF Women’s Champions League title.
On the domestic front, the Brazilians recorded 24 victories, losing only two times, and drawing one match.
The losses came at the hands of the University of the Western Cape (2-0) and the Tshwane University of Technology (1-0) , while they were held to a draw (1-1) by the same UWC.
The Brazilians have scored 113 goals – 17 coming in their last two matches (8-0 vs First Touch; 9-0 vs Coal City Wizards) before heading to Morocco.
Banyana Ba Style have only conceded 11 in 27 outings.
With the trophy safely tucked away at Chloorkop for this season, the attention in the Hollywoodbets Super League now turns to second place finishers – with TUT strong contenders and UWC also in the mix.
Sitting on 52 points – 21 behind the 2022 champions – the Tshwane side is under pressure from the Capetonians, who are on 50, while JVW (45), Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies (45), University of Johannesburg (44), Richmond Ladies (44) and Ma-Indies Ladies (41) are not too far off.
TUT is left with five games, and UWC six, while JVW has played 23 matches – if all three sides win their remaining fixtures, the Western Cape side will finish second with 68 points, while TUT will fall into third place on 67 and JVW fourth with 66.
There is also a battle for relegation survival in the bottom half of the table – this being the first year relegation/promotion system will be implemented in the Hollywoodbets Super League.
Golden Ladies of North West and the Free State’s Tsunami Queens are in serious danger of dropping down a division, and return to the Sasol League.
After 25 matches, Golden Ladies is lying in 15th position with 10 points, and can only get to 25 (if they win all their matches), while bottom-of-the-table Tsunami Queens have only amassed six points in 26 outings, which leaves them with a possible 12 points on offer.
Only a miracle will save the two sides as they have struggled all season – added to the fact that they have to hope for results in other matches to favour them.
Golden Ladies have managed only two wins in the 2022 league campaign, suffering 19 losses with three draws.
Tsunami Queens have registered one victory, three draws and lost 22 matches.
Lying above them are two newcomers City Lads Ladies of the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape’s Vasco da Gama in 13th and 14th places respectively.
City Lads (19 points) and Vasco (16 points) are not out of danger yet but look to have done enough to stay another season in top flight football – only the remaining matches will tell.
On standby and ready to take their place in the Hollywoodbets Super League are Copperbelt Ladies of Limpopo and Tuks from Tshwane. Both gained the much-sought-after promotion after contesting the finals of the Sasol League National Championships in Polokwane this past weekend (Sunday, 23 October 2022).
By Matlhomola Morake
