MAMELODI Sundowns Ladies will be eager to consolidate their Hollywoodbets Super League defence when they face the University of Johannesburg this afternoon.
Sundowns have had a perfect start to the league, winning their first two matches against Royal AM Ladies (4-0) and TS Galaxy Queens (5-3).
These were big wins for Banyana Ba Style, given the fact that AM and Galaxy are touted as two of the teams to beat in the league.
Coach Jerry Tshabalala will get a chance to build on this momentum when his team face another threat to their title defence from UJ in Pretoria.
Just like Sundowns, UJ have been on a roll since the start, winning their first two games against First Touch Ladies (4-1) and Janine Van Wyk Ladies (3-1).
But it’s Sundowns who’ll be wearing the favourites’ cap. They’ll be at home, the Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Stadium, and have greater depth at their disposal than UJ.
Boitumelo Rabale has started the season with another bang. She’s the joint top goalscorer in the league, after scoring three in the last two games.
And that’s not all. Thabiseng Majiya has hit the ground running at Chloorkop, scoring two goals so far. A feat that must be pleasing for Tshabalala.
However, Tshabalala’s opposite number, Nthabeleng Modiko, will be hopeful her troops can give the four-time champions a run for their money.
After all, the absence of Sphumelele Shamase hasn’t disrupted the team, with Refilwe Maseko and Gugu Dhlamini having already scored two goals apiece so far.
Sure, the top of the table clash between Sundowns and UJ will serve as the main attraction, but there’ll be interest in the tie between AM and Galaxy.
Galaxy are still reeling from the hammering they sustained from Sundowns last week. Hence they’ll want to bounce back to winning after a bright start.
Ashraf Calvert had started his tenure with Galaxy on a high, beating JVW 2-0 in the opening game at home, the UJ Soweto campus, two weeks ago.
But Calvert must ensure that they dust off their saddle and get back on the horse by adding more misery to AM, who are yet to win this campaign.
The Pietermaritzburg-based side has found the going tough since the start, enduring the hammering from Sundowns before drawing with City Ladies last week.
Meanwhile, Lindelani Ladies will also want to bounce back to winning ways against the University of Pretoria after losing 1-0 to TUT Matsatsantsa Ladies.
Lindelani had a dream start to the league following their promotion, beating Thunderbirds Ladies 3-0 in their first game before the loss to TUT.
Lindelani have every reason to believe they can be a surprise package in the league, having overcome a lot of adversities in the Sasol League in recent years.
The KZN-based side got their breakthrough to the Super League on their third successive attempt in the Sasol League national championships play-offs.
But while they are high on confidence, albeit the loss to TUT, they must guard against getting carried away, especially coming up against a side such as AmaTuks.
Coach Maude Khumalo charges are starting to find their feet this season after the shocking 2-0 loss to Durban Ladies in their opening game.
But they’ll have to build on the 2-1 win over the University of Fort Hare without the services of their top goal scorer (2) Wendy Shongwe, who’s injured.
Full fixtures:
Today – 1pm: Lindelani v UP; 3pm: Sundowns v UJ; Thunderbirds v City; Richmond v TUT; Royal AM v Galaxy; UFH v Copperbelt.
Tomorrow – 1pm: Durban v First Touch