Sunday, 25 May 2025 will go down as one of the biggest days for South African women’s football as three stars will be fighting different battles at different clubs.
Starting in the early hours of the morning (04h00) (which is Saturday night in Mexico) Thembi Kgatlana kickstart the proceedings when she plays in the final of the CONCACAF Women’s Champions Cup against America’s NJ/NY Gotham FC.
The two sides cancelled each other out in the only meeting they had in the group stages of this competition in October last year. Kgatlana lasted 69 minutes before she was replaced.
This time there has to be a winner, and to whom that honour is given, will book their tickets to the yet to be launched FIFA Women’s Champions Cup 2026 as well as the prestigious FIFA Women’s Club World Cup in 2028.
According to FIFA, the former competition will be used to determine the world’s premier club team and will feature champion clubs from each of the six confederations – CAF, CONCACAF, UEFA, CONMEBOL, AFC and OFC. It will be hosted by Japan in January/February 2026.
The tournament will be played annually except in the year when another yet to be launched competition, the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup is held.
Victory for Tigres will see Kgatlana rewriting the history books by becoming the first South Africa to qualify for the two new prestigious FIFA tournaments.
2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup Qualification:
| TEAM | CONFEDERATON | QUALIFICATION | QUALIFIED DATE |
| Entering in the semi-finals | |||
| CONCACAF | Winners of the 2024/25 CONCACAF Women’s Champion Cup | 25 May 2025 | |
| CONMEBOL | Winners of the 2025 Copa Libertadores Femenina | ||
| UEFA | Winners of the UEFA Women’s Champions League | 24 May 2025 | |
| Entering in the 2ndRound | |||
| CAF | Winners of the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League | ||
| Entering in the 1stRound | |||
| AFC | Winners of the 2025 AFC Women’s Champions League | 24 May 2025 | |
| Auckland United | |||
| OFC | Winners of the 2025 OFC Women’s Champions League | 17 May 2025 |
In Scotland, with the 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League spot secured, Banyana Banyana midfield maestro Linda Motlhalo will be hoping to end the year with some silverware.
This is when Glasgow City will be facing Rangers in the final of the Scottish Women’s Cup at 3pm at Hampden Park.
The clash has a far deeper importance for each of these teams who were beaten to the league title by Hibernian. In the course of the battle, Rangers lost their UEFA Women’s Champions League place to City on the last day of the season, with the latter qualifying for the new UEFA Women’s Europa League.
In their previous four clashes against each other, City holds the advantage of two wins – with Rangers winning the other match and one drawn.
Their last meeting was in April 2025, with Motlhalo’s employers emerging 1-0 victors courtesy of Brenna Lovera’s penalty in the 38th minute.
History appears to be n Glasgow’s side as they won this competition seven times between 2009 and 2019, but they have not lifted the title in the last six years. This is also their first final in three seasons.
Rangers are the defending champions after defeating Hearts last season and claiming the title for the first time ever and will be hoping for back-to-back victory on Sunday.
A win will see Motlhalo bagging her second gold medal after the league title in 2023.
Retired Banyana Banyana defender Noko Matlou will be hoping her side Cacereño Femenino turn the tables against DUX Logrono when the two face off in the second leg of the promotion play-offs from Segundo Division to the elite Liga F Division in Spain.
The South Africa, along with her teammates are, however, on the backfoot as they are trailing 3-0 from the first leg played at home.
“I am very disappointed with the result but I am confident we will do well in the reverse fixture. We are under no illusion that we have a mountain to climb, more so because we had five regular players who were out with injuries – and if they don’t recover on time I doubt we will be able to come back. What is sad is that this was our first defeat at home, we have never lost here,” said Matlou from Spain ahead of the big match.
“There was nothing we could do in the first leg with all those injuries – about half the team not available. We have to soldier on and hopefully they will be back but it is not going to be easy trailing 0-3, especially as we will be playing away.”
Matlou scored in the last minute of extra time in the semi-final, helping her team qualify for the final against DUX Logrono, who has Banyana Banyana defender Faith Nokuthula in their books, while new TS Galaxy Queens signing, Leandra Smeda, once wore the colours of the club.
Cacereño Femenino defeated DUX Logrono 1-0 in the last match of the season to secure a play-off spot.
By Matlhomola Morake
