Players of the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, Bloemfontein campus women’s football team are keen on securing a position in the country’s top football league at the promotion play-offs underway in Polokwane, Limpopo.
This is the stepping-stone to South Africa’s professional league, which features 16 clubs.
The club is among the nine representing their respective provinces at the 13th Sasol Women’s League (SWL) promotion play-offs, staged under the auspices of Safa, which will end on Saturday (22/10). The gruelling competition officially began on Monday (17/10).
Of the nine that are vying for promotion, only two clubs get promoted to the top league.
This being their first participation, the CUT team is aware of the challenge to secure a slot in the senior division, known as the Hollywoodbets Super League. The team claimed the Free State stream title of the SWL to qualify for the promotion play-offs, after beating sister outfit Ixias from the CUT Welkom campus at the provincial play-offs in September.
If promoted to South Africa’s professional league, CUT’s ladies will fill the void left by the recent sale of the Bloemfontein Celtic women’s side to the same Durban-based businesswoman, Shauwn Mkhize, who purchased the Celtic men’s franchise in 2021.
“The ultimate prize is to get promoted to the professional league. This is a daunting task for us, and also a motivating factor given the good change that comes with having a team from Bloemfontein in the professional rank,” said Lefu Mohapi, head coach.
Plotting the club’s promotion is a task he shares with the technical team members: Kgomotso Mofokeng, goalkeeper coach; Ati Swarts, assistant coach; Pakiso Mabaleng, physio; and Thabiso Khopo, kit manager.
The two clubs promoted to the top division will receive various prizes. First place will earn R200 000, a trophy, and gold medals; whereas the runners-up will be awarded R100 000 plus silver medals. Third place will receive R60 000 as consolation prize, but will not be promoted to the major league.
Mohapi, former defender of Botshabelo’s Ace Blizzards FC, hopes for his team to be one of two major prize recipients. His team would become the first to attain promotion after Ixias failed twice in 2019 and in 2021.
