This year’s Sasol League National Championship took place in Mossel Bay, a coastal town in the famous Garden Route. The week-long tournament started on Tuesday, 6 December and culminated in the final at the D’ Almeida Stadium on Sunday, 11 December with Celtic Ladies emerging victorious.
Now in its eighth year, the event featured the crème-de-la crème of South African women’s football with all nine provinces represented in the fight for the national title.
Siwelele sa Masele, as they are affectionately known, did not put a foot wrong against highly fancied JVW in the final broadcasted live to millions of homes across the country on SABC 1. The team has secured nine provincial Sasol League titles, along with the R50 000 prize money.
Emily Moholoholo who had mesmerised defences all tournament long netted the solitary goal midway through the second half to land Bloemfontein their first Sasol League National Championship.
Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies have been at every Sasol League National Championship and have never lifted the trophy, however this time they enjoyed a stellar tournament, netting 16 goals in the tournament and only conceding three goals on their way to glory.
Gauteng has produced the most number of title winners, including three-time champions Palace Super Falcons (2010 – 2012) and two-time champions, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (2013 and 2015). Mpumalanga won the inaugural championship in 2009, while Western Cape’s Cape Town Roses won it in 2014.
Eight years ago, Sasol partnered with the South African Football Association (SAFA) to launch the Sasol League in an effort of creating a platform for women football players for potential selection to Banyana Banyana – another SAFA entity that Sasol has been sponsoring since 2009.
The Sasol League was also launched to create new and equal opportunities for women in football, with the aim of breaking down gender barriers and improving the standard of women’s football in South Africa.