Reigning Hollywoodbets Super League champions Mamelodi Sundowns are back in action this weekend after their midweek clash against Tuks Ladies was postponed due to the latter side initially having three players in the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana squad currently doing duty at the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship 2023.
The trio – Morongwa Manamela, Thalea Smidt and Wendy Shongwe – was named in the team, but Shongwe had to be withdrawn due to not feeling well.
The annual regional women’s tournament is taking place at three venues in Johannesburg – Lucas Moripe Stadium in Tshwane, as well as in Soweto – the Dobsonville Stadium and UJ Stadium.
Not in action this weekend in the Hollywoodbets Super League are UWC, Royal AM, TS Galaxy Queens, Tuks Ladies, UJ Ladies, Durban Ladies, TUT Ladies and Copperbelt Ladies.
Sundowns Ladies vs City Lads Ladies: 15h00
Trailing log leaders University of the Western Cape (UWC) by 12 points, and with three games in hand, the defending champions will be looking to close the gap, more so that the Capetonians are not playing.
With the COSAFA Women’s Championship moving to the Dobsonville Stadium for the next three days, the Brazilians will be at the Groenkloof Stadium in Pretoria to take on City Lads Ladies from the Eastern Cape.
In the corresponding fixture, Banyana Ba Style won 3-1 and will be eager to continue from where they left off.
But they could find some resistance from a City Lads outfit that is trying to move away from the relegation zone – they are 13th with only 18 points after 24 games.
Sundowns Ladies drew their previous match against Royal AM and will want to make amends as they attempt to return to the top of the table.
COAL CITY WIZARDS vs JVW FC: 15h00
Breathing down Sundown Ladies’ neck is JVW who will face second-from-bottom Coal City Wizards at the Puma Stadium.
The Blue Diamonds are third on the table, just one point behind the Brazilians – but the former have played three more matches.
JVW is on 50 points after 23 outings, while Coal City has accumulated 18 points in 24 games.
FIRST TOUCH ACADEMY vs THUNDERBIRDS LADIES: 11h30
Two other weekend matches are scheduled for Sunday (8 October), with the Oscar Mpete Stadium at the University of Limpopo hosting a Hollywoodbets Super League double header.
In the earlier kick-off, First Touch Ladies welcome a struggling Thunderbirds Ladies.
The visitors, however, will be encouraged by last week’s result when they defeated bottom-of-the-table Ma-Indies Ladies 3-0 – but prior to that, they failed to get maximum points in 14 games, losing 11 in the process.
In their previous meeting against First Touch, the Eastern Cape side emerged victorious.
MA-INDIES LADIES vs RICHMOND UNITED: 15H00
The second match of the double-header sees Ma-Indies Ladies on their final stretch to try and rescue their ailing season.
But they are up against a solid Richmond United side from the Northern Cape, that is however depleted with the absence of their influential players – Michelle Sampson, who is at Banyana Banyana, as well as Nthabiseng Majiya, selected to be part of the South African U20 Women’s National team that is preparing for the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Limpopo side has played 25 matches, with only seven points to their name, while the visitors are eighth on the table with 39 points.
HOLLYWOODBETS SUPER LEAGUE FIXTURES:
Saturday, 7 October 2023
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES FC vs CITY LADS LADIES
Groenkloof Stadium
PRETORIA
15H00
COAL CITY WIZARDS vs JVW FC
Puma Stadium
WITBANK
15H00
FIRST TOUCH ACADEMY vs THUNDERBIRDS LADIES
Oscar Mpete Stadium – University of Limpopo
POLOKWANE
11:30
MA-INDIES LADIES vs RICHMOND UNITED
Oscar Mpete Stadium – University of Limpopo
POLOKWANE
15:00
By Matlhomola Morake
