Sundowns Ladies strengthen squad with Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Palesa Moletsane

 

Hollywoodbets Super League champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies have signed Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Palesa Moletsane.

The 31-year-old joins from University of Fort Hare, where she played a key role in helping the club finish fourth in the league last season. That was Fort Hare’s highest-ever placing in South Africa’s top women’s division.

Moletsane was also the second-best goalkeeper in the Hollywoodbets Super League last campaign, recording 13 clean sheets. Only Dineo Magagula of TS Galaxy Queens kept more shutouts, finishing six ahead of her.

The new Sundowns goalkeeper leaves University of Fort Hare with the team fifth in the Super Rise Division. She made five appearances for the side this season and kept two clean sheets before her move was confirmed by Sundowns Ladies on Wednesday.

Moletsane previously played for Royal AM and was part of the Banyana Banyana squad that reached the quarter-finals of the recently completed Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

She will now compete for a place in the Sundowns Ladies team alongside experienced goalkeeper Andile Dlamini and Botswana international Sedilame Bosija.

The signing comes as Sundowns prepare for the COSAFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers, which will be held in Gaborone from 20 to 29 August.

Sundowns Ladies have been drawn against Eswatini club Nsingizini Hotspurs, Malawi’s Silver Strikers and Costa Do Sol of Mozambique in the qualifying competition.

The club’s decision to add Moletsane provides further depth in the goalkeeping department as they begin preparations for the regional tournament. Her experience at international level and strong record in the Hollywoodbets Super League will add competition to a position already occupied by Dlamini and Bosija.

Moletsane’s arrival also follows a standout campaign with University of Fort Hare. The team’s fourth-place finish last season marked a significant result for the club, while her 13 clean sheets placed her among the leading goalkeepers in the competition.

Although she has started the current campaign in the Super Rise Division, managing two clean sheets in five matches, Moletsane will now return to the top level with the defending champions.

Her inclusion in the Banyana Banyana squad for the WAFCON in Morocco further strengthens her credentials as Sundowns prepare to compete in the COSAFA Women’s Champions League qualifying tournament.

The fixtures in Gaborone will take place over nine days, with Sundowns set to face opposition from three different countries: Nsingizini Hotspurs of Eswatini, Silver Strikers of Malawi and Costa Do Sol of Mozambique.