All eyes will be on the University of Cape Town (UCT) women’s football team as they kick off their National Sasol League Playoffs this afternoon.
The premier league of South African women’s football comprises of 144 teams spread equally across the nine provinces.For the second consecutive year, UCT will represent the Western Cape, and play as the host province this year, though the games will be held in Knysna in the Southern Cape, some 400km away from Cape Town.
The UCT team faces an unexpected challenge this year, as a car accident en route to Knysna has resulted in key members of their technical team missing the tournament.
Speaking from the hospital, head coach Ahmed Parker expressed gratitude for surviving the crash and confirmed that former coach Kamaal Sait will stand in for him as the technical team prepares to return to Cape Town.
Despite his personal circumstances, Parker was optimistic about his team’s readiness, believing they were better prepared for this year’s playoffs this time around.
“Having been here before, we’ve had the chance to prepare better, especially from a psychological perspective,” Parker said. “We’re more experienced, more mature, and we have a slightly different mindset this time around. We’ve learned what it takes to compete at the national level, and in tough moments, we can rely on that collective experience.”
After winning the Sasol League Western Cape and securing a spot in the upcoming Coke Cup final, the UCT team has become the team to beat.
Parker credited teamwork as the cornerstone of UCT’s success. “Our strength is how well our players complement each other. We have attackers who score the goals, but it’s the solid foundation behind them that makes it possible.”
Their spectacular performance has raised expectations – but as their performance in previous competition shows, UCT women’s football has risen to the occasion, and kept their eye on the bigger picture. “The biggest difference between the 2023 and 2024 seasons is that when you’re the defending champs, you’ve got a target on your back. Other teams raise their game to beat you. But for us, we’re focused on qualifying for the Hollywood Bets National League, where we can be the smaller fish in a bigger pond and continue growing, perhaps under the radar this time.”
This afternoon, UCT will face Ezemvelo Ladies at 15:30, and all eyes will be on the Cape-based team.
“Everything we’ve been through has earned us the right to be here again,” Parker said. “That experience, and the consistency within the team, will be key to our success. Representing the host province may bring added pressure – but my team thrives under pressure, and we’re ready for it.”
The Sasol National Championships has and continues to unearth some of the best women footballers in South Africa, and the fun has just begun. Follow along for some fantastic football!
