After weeks of intensive preparations across several pre-season competitions, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are gearing up for the Hollywoodbets Super League opener against Ma-Indies Ladies FC in a repeat of the final game of last season.
Banyana Ba Style flexed their goal-scoring muscles the last time both sides clashed with Andisiwe Mgcoyi producing an astonishing performance, scoring six goals as the continental champions claimed an emphatic 7-0 victory at the Bidvest Stadium.
Ahead of the new season, Coach Jerry Tshabalala is optimistic about his team’s chances after a very rigorous pre-season schedule.
“I am very happy with the level of preparation we had during the pre-season. The games provided an opportunity for us to give every player a chance to prove their mettle, which is always a good thing. We also had a couple of new players (Gabonnelwe Salome Kekana, Tiisetso ‘Bastos’ Makhubela and Miche Minnies) who were added to the squad and thus far they have adapted to our playing style and philosophy.
Despite the welcomed addition of new players to bolster the ranks, Coach Tshabalala further expressed his desire to see more of the youngsters coming through the ranks.
“I am very happy with the business we have conducted so far. We got several classy players who will give us so much quality in various areas of the pitch. However, I believe we are going to see the best of some of our youngsters in the upcoming season because they showed us during the pre-season that they are ready to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them. During the course of the season, they will be handed some valuable playing time so that they can grow with the more established regulars,” concluded Coach Tshabalala.
The Brazilians enjoyed complete dominance in the Hollywoodbets Super League last campaign. In 26 games played, Sundowns Ladies racked up an impressive 24 wins, with just one draw, scoring 87 goals and conceding just 14!
Across the three competitions last season (Hollywoodbets Super League, COSAFA CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers, and the inaugural edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League in Egypt), Sundowns Ladies scored an incredible 113 goals.
Mamelodi Sundowns square off against Ma-Indies Ladies FC on Sunday afternoon, at Giyani Stadium. The kick-off time for the fixture is at 15h00.
