Thunderbirds Ladies relegated from Hollywoodbets Super League

Thunderbirds Ladies have been relegated from the Hollywoodbets Super League, ending a five-year stay in the South African elite women’s football league.

The Eastern Cape side suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat at the hands of league title chasers, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on Tuesday to officially drop to the lower Sasol League with four matches remaining.

The writing was on the wall for the Bisho-based outfit, who are yet to win a match after 26 rounds of fixtures – they have so far managed only three draws, against Durban Ladies (3-3), Copperbelt Ladies (0-0) and First Touch Ladies (0-0).

The founding members of the women’s football league are in danger of setting an unwanted history – going all season without winning a match. The lowest recorded wins for a relegated team were two wins – Tsunami Queens and Ma-Indies Ladies in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Since the formation of the league back in 2019/20, Thunderbirds’ best finish was seventh in 2021. On the other four occasions they ended in the bottom half of the table.

Their demise now leaves the Eastern Cape with only two teams in the Hollywoodbets Super League – City Lads Ladies and newcomers University of Fort Hare.

Thunderbirds are left with fixtures against Sundowns Ladies (28 September); UJ Ladies (5 October); TS Galaxy Queens (12 Oct) and Royal AM (9 November).

At the top, it’s a two-horse race between reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and UWC. After 26 games, the Brazilians hold the advantage as they are top of the table on 71 points, 14 ahead of the Capetonians who have three games in hand.

Banyana ba Style can wrap up the campaign with three wins if UWC also win all their fixtures.

THUNDERBIRDS LADIES’ PATHWAY IN THE ELITE LEAGUE:

2019/20 Season:

1^st – Sundowns 73 points

10^th – Thunderbirds: 4W 

12^th – Tsunami Queens: 2W

2021:

1^st – Sundowns Ladies: 73 points

7^th – Thunderbirds: 10W

14^th – Tsunami Queens: 2W

2022:

1^st – Sundowns 82 points

11^th – Thunderbirds 10W

16^th – Tsunami Queens 2W

2023:

1^st – Sundowns 81 points

14^th – Thunderbirds 5W

16^th – Ma-Indies 2W

Results from Tuesday fixtures:

Copperbelt Ladies 1-0 Royal AM 

Lindelani Ladies 1-2 University of Fort Hare

Durban Ladies 1-1 Richmond United

University of Pretoria 2-3 TS Galaxy Queens

First Touch Ladies 0-5 Sundowns Ladies

UWC 6-0 Thunderbirds Ladies

UJ Ladies 2 -0 Matsatsantsa TUT Ladies

By Matlhomola Morake