Mamelodi 11 Stars Ladies exceed expectations with top-eight debut finish

Mamelodi 11 Stars Ladies FC co-founder Khabo Zitha says the club has surpassed its initial target after ending its first season in the SAFA Gauteng Provincial League in the top eight.

The Tshwane-based side finished with 37 points from 28 matches, only four points behind Mito Stars Ladies FC. Their record included 10 victories, seven draws and 11 defeats.

Zitha, a former Banyana Banyana player, said the team’s priority after promotion had been to avoid relegation and retain its place in the division.

“The season started on a high note with a fear of the unknown. The first year after promotion to the SAFA Provincial League has been the greatest achievement ever for the girls. They gained experience and we managed to secure a top-eight spot in our debut season. The target was to keep our league status, but I am proud that the players and the technical team went above and beyond,” said Zitha.

The top-eight finish also secured Mamelodi 11 Stars a place in the league’s top-eight tournament, which is due to begin next month.

Zitha said the club had faced significant logistical difficulties during the campaign, including fixture scheduling, transport and the cost of travelling for players who live outside Mamelodi.

“The team qualified for the league’s top-eight tournament, which will kick off next month. We have struggled a lot this season in terms of different schedules for the games, transportation for the team to honour fixtures and travelling costs for players based outside Mamelodi. But against all odds, the team was successful this year. I hope they perform well in the upcoming top-eight tournament,” added Zitha.

She described the league as highly competitive and said the experience gained by the players would support the club’s ambitions for the next campaign.

Mamelodi 11 Stars Ladies now want to challenge for promotion to the Hollywoodbets Super League, while also using the final two off-season tournaments to finish the football year strongly.

“The league has been truly competitive; there was no walk-in-the-park team. We learned a lot during the season, and we are looking forward to seeing our team, Mamelodi 11 Stars Ladies, competing for a Hollywoodbets Super League spot next season.

“We will be playing in the last two tournaments during the off-season to leave a remarkable spark at the end of the football season. We want to continue our mission and vision. We are looking forward to a great season next year, and we appreciate the opportunity,” she expressed.