Sundowns Ladies face stern HWBSL test

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the University of Western Cape (UWC) will be fancying their chances against Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies as the Hollywoodbest Super League returns this weekend.

Eyes will be on the log leaders and defending champions, who will face the University of Johannesburg on Sunday, 31 July.

Banyana BaStyle will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of the table before heading to Durban for the COSAFA Women™s Champions League qualifiers - scheduled for 7-13 August - where they will be aiming to defend their regional title before contesting the continental showpiece. 

CAF Coach of the Year nominee, Jerry Tshabalala, who lost out to countrywoman Desiree Ellis, says the three-week international break was great for the club as it offered them a chance to reset and plan for the tough schedule ahead.

œThe break was beneficial [but] it was also not beneficial. I say this [because] we started preparing the team as early as 13 January and the players needed a bit of a rest, but you must also be cautious as a coach that the more the players rest, the more the team loses momentum, Tshabalala told SABC Sport.

œThe break came at the right time but it will be up to us as the technical team, what it is we do. We™ll work with the team to get the best results.

Sundowns face tough opposition this season, with the loss to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in the first round serving as a rude awakening to the African champions. 

Former UWC midfielder, Leandra Smeda believes the Western Cape side will give Sundowns a run for their money for the title this season. 

œI think they [UWC] can definitely challenge for the title this season. They have a really good squad, a young group of players but there™s also a small group that have been in the national setup throughout the junior teams and now in the senior team, Smeda said.

œThey started the league really well and I hope, when it resumes, the team will just pick up from where they left off, but it™s going to be challenging for them because they still have the Varsity Cup games that they also need to play. 

œThe USSAs are also at the end of the year but we did well last year as UWC and hopefully this year, the team can go further than last year.

The Thinasonke Mbuli-led side are only four points behind Sundowns and two behind second-placed Tshwane University of Technology, and will be away to Limpopo™s Ma-Indies on Saturday, 30 July.

By Busisiwe Mokwena