Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies are Sasol Women’s League champions again
JOBURG - Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies are national champions of the Sasol Women's League for the second time in a row.
The Free State province and Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies, in particular, are fast becoming the new powerhouse of women’s football in South Africa.
This follows their successful defence of their crown of the National Women’s Championships of the Sasol Women’s League, which is currently the most elite provincial women’s soccer competition in the country. The championships were held at the KaBhokweni Stadium in Mbombela.
Read: Bloemfontein to host next Diski festival
Celtic Ladies beat perennial silver medalists Cape Town Roses 2–0 to retain their title in an entertaining match which they dominated from the word go, though they failed to find the back of the net in the first half.
Although faced with a tough and resilient opponent in Roses, who are champions of the Western Cape Sasol Women’s League, Celtic Ladies boast a number of seasoned players in the Banyana Banyana squad and in the U20 and U17 national teams, and showed their experience when it mattered most.
Their win was courtesy of a brace from emerging and exciting star, Melinda Tsetse Kgadiete, who was crowned Diski queen of the match which is the equivalent of man of the match.
Read: Rama-G downplays his non-call up for Bafana
Kgadiete found the back of the net in the 60th minute when she headed home a cross from the left. She scored her second 15 minutes from time when she broke the Roses defence which had been likened to the wall of Jericho, to rattle the back of the net.
It could have been a hat-trick for Kgadiete, nicknamed ‘Problem Child’, a few minutes later but the Roses goal minder pulled off an excellent diving save.
Kgadiete seems to have made enough moves for a call-up from Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, who was on hand to watch the game and also assisted in handing out the honours of the championships.
Read: Alex at the Premier Skills programme in Pretoria
South African Football Association president Dr Danny Jordaan was also present and handed out medals to the winners. He said the association was on track in its efforts to establish a professional national Women Soccer League in 2019.
