University of Fort Hare eye HWBSL title after an impressive debut season

The Baby Wolves enjoyed a strong debut season in 2025, finishing in the top four with 52 points from 30 matches - a performance that has boosted belief within the camp.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Mafene says their pre-season preparations have been centred on improving players’ physical conditioning to ensure they maintain high performance levels throughout the campaign.

“We are now in week five of pre-season, having started on the 19th of January. Our main focus is on improving the players’ physical conditioning and addressing all the factors that will help them perform at their best.

“When we reflect on last season, it shows resilience and hunger for improvement. That has given us confidence that we can compete for the league title in 2026. The UFH Baby Wolves will compete for the league,” said Mafene.

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The 36-year-old mentor confirmed that changes have been made to the squad, with a few players released and new additions brought in to strengthen the team ahead of the new season.

“We have released a couple of players and recruited others who we believe will add value to the team. We are waiting for management to officially announce the new signings once contracts have been finalised,” Mafene added.

Mafene also revealed that the club has partnered with the Department of Human Movement Science to enhance their pre-season programme, particularly in areas that affected results last season.

“In collaboration with the Department of Human Movement Science, we identified that we lacked proper recovery processes before and after matches, as well as consistent access to gym facilities and fitness monitoring. Our focus now is to improve on those aspects that impacted our results last season,” he expressed.