The 2023 Hollywoodbets Super League returns after a short recess due to the international break that saw the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana play in a two-legged 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo, which the South Africans won to progress to the third round.
They will face Tanzania in February next year.
On the domestic front, both Ma-Indies Ladies and Coal City Wizards have failed to survive the relegation axe and will campaign in the Sasol League next season.
This implies that teams on the bottom half of the table will now play without pressure, while all eyes will be on the top where log leaders and reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and title contenders University of the Western Cape (UWC), are neck and neck for the newly-designed and recently launched 2023 Hollywoodbets Super League trophy, with the rest of the teams jostling for better positions from third going down.
Both the Brazilians and the Blues are on 66 points after 25 games, but the Gauteng side occupy the number one spot due to a superior goal difference.
Banyana ba Style have taken a breather from the league action as they are in Ivory Coast, along with seven other teams, to participate in the prestigious TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Champions League tournament where they are vying to be crowned the Queens of the Continent at club level. The final is on 19 November.
The Capetonians have a bye this weekend and will resume action on 15 November.
Six matches have been scheduled for this weekend – spread over the two days.
DURBAN LADIES vs CITY LADS LADIES: 13h30
First in action on Saturday, 4 November will be Durban Ladies when they go into battle with City Lads Ladies at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont, near Durban.
With the relegation dogfight out of the way, both sides will be looking to improve on their previous finish in the league – Durban Ladies was 10th in 2022 and are currently ninth with four games to go, while City Lads are on the 12th spot – the same position as last season and they have three matches remaining.
COPPERBELT LADIES vs FIRST TOUCH: 15h00
Newcomers Copperbelt Ladies will feature in the last Limpopo Derby of the season when they take on First Touch Academy at 15h00 at the Rugby Field near the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Copperbelt will be eager to turn the tables on their more established opponents who beat them 2-0 in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season.
TUT vs THUNDERBIRDS LADIES: 15h00
Tenth-placed Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) will welcome Thunderbirds Ladies to their home ground of TUT Stadium Pretoria.
The home side was the last one to inflict pain on Mpumalanga’s Coal City Wizards, defeating them 1-0 to send them to relegation.
Thunderbirds Ladies, who are 14th, can now breathe a sigh of relief in the remaining three games after hovering around the relegation zone for long periods.
TUKS LADIES vs RICHMOND UNITED: 11h30
The impressive University of Pretoria (Tuks Ladies) is in position six and already having a great run in only their first season. They will be hoping to finish even stronger. They however face a sometimes stubborn Richmond United at the UJ Stadium in Soweto in the first match of a double header at the venue on Sunday (5 November).
The Northern Cape side, who are seventh on the table, will be out for revenge after suffering a 2-1 loss at the hands of the students in the first round.
UJ LADIES vs ROYAL AM: 15h00
In the second match at UJ Stadium, the home side, University of Johannesburg (UJ Ladies) will have to be at their best to take on Royal AM at 15h00.
The students haven’t won a match in five outings – playing two draws in the process. They are eighth on the table while the KwaZulu Natal side is fifth.
TS GALAXY QUEENS vs MA-INDIES: 15h00
The final match of the weekend sees the relegated Ma-Indies Ladies round off their 2023 campaign with a trip to Mpumalanga to face TS Galaxy Queens at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium at 15h00.
Sizwe Sibiya’s charges, who are in their first year of the South African elite Women’s Football league, will want to finish as high as possible.
They are fourth with 51 points, just two behind third-placed JVW.
So the match could go either way – the Limpopo outfit could stage a serious standoff so as to leave on a high, or they can be like lambs to slaughter just to complete their assignment for 2023.
HOLLYWOODBETS SUPER LEAGUE FIXTURES:
| Saturday, 4 November 2023 | ||||
| DURBAN LADIES FC | vs | CITY LADS | Mpumalanga Stadium | Hammersdale |
| 13h00 | ||||
| COPPERBELT LADIES | vs | FIRST TOUCH ACADEMY | Rugby Stadium next to Peter Mokaba Stadium | Polokwane |
| 15h00 | ||||
| TUT FOOTBALL CLUB | vs | THUNDERBIRDS LADIES | TUT Pretoria Stadium | Tshwane |
| 15h00 | ||||
| Sunday, 05 November 2023 | ||||
| TUKS LADIES | vs | RICHMOND UNITED | UJ SOCCER STADIUM | SOWETO |
| 11H30 | ||||
| UJ LADIES | vs | ROYAL AM | UJ SOCCER STADIUM | SOWETO |
| 15H00 | ||||
| TS GALAXY QUEENS | vs | MA-INDIES LADIES | SOLOMON MAHLANGU STADIUM | MPUMALANGA |
| 15H00 | ||||
By Matlhomola Morake
