Former Banyana Banyana defender Noko Matlou and current South African midfielder maestro Linda Motlhalo face difference tests at club level.
The retired Limpopo-born and Spain-based Matlou is on the brink of promotion play-offs with Cacereño CP from the Primera Federación Femenina to Liga F Division.
They are currently sixth on the table level on 38 points each with Barcelona B and Osasuna who are fifth and seventh respectively with one match remaining in the season.
To secure automatic promotion, top of the table Alhama, who have 55 points, will need to win or hope second-placed Alaves, who are two points adrift, lose or draw.
Teams who are on position 2-5 go into the promotion play-offs.
Cacereño takes on DUX Logroño who are third on the table, Osasuna welcomes 10th-placed Atletico Madrid, while Barcelona B will be away to Real Madrid B lying on the eighth spot.
Matlou will be hoping for a win for her side, and hope results in the other matches favour them.
The other saving grace is that should the positions of the three teams remain unchanged, then Barcelona B will not enter the play-offs (they cannot be promoted as they already have a team in the elite division) which gives Cacereño CP the green light to contest for promotion.
Matlou’s current employers will be hoping for a change of fortunes as they have always struggled against their opponents – Cacereño is yet to win in their last five meetings against DUX Logrono, with only one draw and four defeats.
Cacereño CP vs DUX Logrono Head-to-Head:
06 Oct. 2024
DUX Logrono W 1 – 0 Cacereño W
21 Jan. 2024
DUX Logrono W 1 – 0 Cacereño W
08 Oct. 2023
Cacereño W 1 – 2 DUX Logrono W
02 Apr. 2023
Cacereño W 2 – 2 DUX Logrono W
15 Jan. 2023
DUX Logrono W 2 – 1 Cacereño W
“One game to go and a must win game if we want to qualify for playoffs. We have run out of second chances and now we have to do it ourselves as we cannot count on other teams anymore,” said Matlou from Spain.
She has been in this position before when she helped her former team SD Eibar regain their Liga F Division status last season before she parted ways with them.
“This is a very crucial period, and we just need to focus on us and the job in front of us not be distracted by what happens in the other matches,” she added.
As it the last day of the season, all the matches in the Primera Federación Femenina kick off simultaneously at midday on Saturday (26 April 2025).
Key Primera Federación Femenina Fixtures:
- Cacereño vs DUX Logrono
- Atletico Madrid vs Osasuna
- Real Madrid B vs Barcelona B
In Scotland Motlhalo’s Glasgow City will be battling it out for a place in the final of the Scottish Cup where they will be facing Motherwell in the last four.
Kickoff at Hampden Park is at 12h15.
City will be buoyed by their last meeting with the opposition where they (Glasgow) emerged 4-0 winners two weeks ago in the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL).
To reach the semis, Motlhalo’s outfit brushed aside Celtic 3-2 in the first round before defeating Hearts by the same margin in the last stage of the competition, setting up a clash against Motherwell.
Defending champions Rangers and Aberdeen will contest the other semi-final with the fixture scheduled for Sunday (27 April).
The two finalists will face off next month (25 May 2025).
By Matlhomola Morake
