Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are ready and looking forward to the start of the Hollywoodbets Super League season, according to head coach Jerry Tshabalala.
The reigning champions will be looking to start their league campaign on a high when they welcome a tough Richmond United side at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday, and Tshabalala is wary of the threat United pose.
“Richmond is a very solid side, for the past two seasons they are the only team that managed to score two goals against us, home and away,” Tshabalala told Sunday World.
“So, we brace ourselves for a very tough one, but we are ready for it and definitely want to start on a front.”
Banyana Ba Style, as they are affectionately known, will be on a mission to defend their league title, to what would be their fourth successive league title.
Tshabalala said retaining the league will offer them another opportunity to compete at the highest level on the continent, and possibly facing Europe’s biggest teams at the reported 2023 Women’s Club World Cup.
“Winning the league always gives us an opportunity to go outside and compete with other African teams,” he said.
“If we go all out and win the Hollywoodbets Super League, it will give us that opportunity, and who knows with the rumors that there will be a Women’s Club World Cup, it will also give us that opportunity to go [and] test ourselves against top European teams.
“So yes, we want to win it for the fourth time in a row, we know it’s not going to be easy, it will be a mountain to climb, but we are ready for it.”
Tshabalala confirmed that the club has recruited exciting and quality players, but did not want to reveal too much, saying fans will only know the newly acquired players when they take to the field.
In a separate development, TS Galaxy Queens will join newly promoted Copperbelt Ladies and University of Pretoria in the Super League, after officially acquiring the status of Vasco Da Gama.
Galaxy became the third DStv Premiership side to have a women’s team alongside Royal AM and Sundowns.
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