Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies needed a second half goal to claim all three points in a 1-0 win against a stubborn Copperbelt Ladies in Polokwane in the Hollywoodbets Super League.
This was the first match for both sides after a month-long FIFA Women’s World Cup recess.
Banyana ba Style will however take a short break from South Africa’s elite women’s football league as their attention now shifts to the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers 2023, which will be held in Durban from 30 August to 8 September.
Eight regional teams will battle it out for the top spot that will qualify them for continental competition, the CAF Women’s Champions League, scheduled to be played from 5-19 November in Cote d’Ivoire.
After labouring to victory against Copperbelt Ladies in the Hollywoodbets Super League on Saturday (26 August 2023), Jerry Tshabalala, Head Coach of the Chloorkop outfit, is not too impressed with his charges ahead of this important assignment.
“Now the focus is on COSAFA, we need to work harder, we need to improve from this performance. One can’t say he’s happy and excited to take this performance to COSAFA, we need to polish somewhere, and see what COSAFA holds for us,” Tshabalala told the club’s Media Department.
The win over the Limpopo side, thanks to an Andisiwe Mgcoyi goal in the 68th minute, was enough however to help the Brazilians maintain their top spot on the log standings.
“We dominated the first half in all aspects of the game, they were not even threatening. We created a lot of scoring opportunity, but we couldn’t convert them. I think it was a poor performance from the girls in the second half, it was totally unacceptable the way we applied ourselves. I think we could have done better. It’s very important for us to stay on top so that the focus for us can only be COSAFA and not be worried about the chasing pack (in the Hollywoodbets Super League). It was very important to grind for these three points,” added Tshabalala.
“I must give credit to the technical team (of Copperbelt Ladies), they matched us pound for pound, especially in the second half, which made things difficult for us to penetrate them. When you look at the goal that we scored it was via a set piece from the corner kick and we converted it, which is something we did at training, so if they (Copperbelt Ladies) play like this, I see them surviving relegation.”
UJ LADIES 0 – 1 UWC
In other domestic women’s league matches played over the weekend, second-placed University of the Western Cape (UWC) overcame a determined University of Johannesburg (UJ Ladies) 1-0 in a very ill-tempered clash at the UJ Soccer Stadium in Soweto.
A goal by substitute Khanyisa Manengela was enough to see them stay two points behind the log leaders who are on 50.
This was UWC’s fifth win on the trot, while UJ suffered their eighth loss of the season.
TS GALAXY LADIES 4 – 1 ROYAL AM
TS Galaxy Queens, who are third on the table, bounced back to winning ways as they beat Royal AM 4-1 in Mpumalanga. In their last outing before the World Cup break, TS Galaxy suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to fellow newcomers Tuks Ladies.
Royal AM, who started the day in fourth place, dropped to sixth following the loss to the Mpumalanga outfit.
MA-INDIES LADIES 0 – 3 JVW
Three goals, three points – that’s how JVW announced their return to action. With recent returnee, Janine van Wyk in the starting line-up, the Blue Diamonds travelled to Giyani and showed no mercy as they defeated relegation-haunted, bottom-of-the-table Ma-Indies Ladies 3-0. The Limpopo team has now lost 10 fixtures in a row – and their 18th of the season after 20 outings.
JVW moved up to third place with the victory.
TUKS LADIES 5 – 0 CITY LADS LADIES:
In the final match of the weekend, the University of Pretoria (Tuks Ladies) continued with their impressive run, notching up their eighth win in succession.
After a midweek (Wednesday, 23 August) 2-1 victory over neighbours Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Maud Khumalo’s charges were back in action on Sunday (27 August) and ran riot against a hapless City Lads Ladies, claiming a 5-0 win.
The result saw them jump one spot up to fifth place with 38 points, just two adrift of JVW, who are level with TS Galaxy Queens on 40.
HOLLYWOODBETS SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS:
Wednesday, 23 August 2023
Tuks Ladies 2 – 1 TUT
Saturday, 26 August 2023
Copperbelt Ladies 0 – 1 Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
Ma-Indies Ladies 0 – 3 JVW
TS Galaxy Ladies 4 – 1 Royal AM
UJ Ladies 0 – 1 UWC
Sunday, 27 August 2023
Tuks Ladies 5 – 0 City Lads Ladies
By Matlhomola Morake
