They may be young and their team not as experienced as the other female soccer outfits in Bushbuckridge, but the Mabaya Ladies have in a short space of time become a dominant force and are even feared by well-established teams.
These newbies are already dominating the local football association’s Ximhungwe Promotional League. The team’s coach, Msiniyo Batse, said his team of stars from various villages has made him proud. The trainer said winning this year’s Metsi Easter Tournament during the Easter Weekend was a big achievement.
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They beat the Home Trojans 2-1 in the final round of this annual event.
“It was not entirely a tough encounter for the girls, and I expected them to score more goals. But the opponents, many experienced older players, didn’t give my girls enough space to manoeuvre and used some rough tackles whenever my girls had the ball.
Despite this, Mabaya Ladies thoroughly enjoyed the game, walking away as the best. Maybe that scared their opponents into not playing their usual game,” he said.
This young team seems to be on a winning streak. They also won their match against Kildare United 2-0 on Saturday April 29. The new club is in the process of becoming a member of the Safa Regional Women’s League in Kruger Zone 1 of Mpumalanga.
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The Ladies will kick off the new 2023/24 season against Juventus Sibambayana in Sibambayana on May 13. This promises to be a tough encounter for the Ladies as it will be their first season playing in the league. Batse said they are entering the league to win it.
“We are geared to continue doing well from the start. All our ladies are aware that winning is a mindset change. Taking the lead is a bonus,” Batse said.