JOHANNESBURG – The fifth edition of SASOL League National Championship will start next week posting a new format.
The national championship will be played from Monday November 25 to Sunday December 1 at Alabama and Matlosana Stadiums.
The tournament will see the nine provinces contesting in a new format where each group will have three teams and play two matches in a round robin phase. The quarter finals will then take place where the top two teams with the highest ranked third place will qualify to play in. The semi-finals will take place hosting the top four teams after which the final will be played.
“We are very excited about this year’s SASOL League National Championships. Over the past five years we have watched the level of football getting better and this year we want to have the competition increase with the new exciting format,” SAFA NEC Nomsa Mahlangu. “We have made great strides internationally and have reached the first rounds of the Olympics and World Cup and would like to advance to the next rounds in future.”
The tournament will see a number of seasoned National Championships campaigners, Durban Ladies (Kwa-Zulu Natal), Cape Town Roses (Western Cape), Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies (Free State), Royal Wizards (Northern Cape) and City Lads (Eastern Cape) all making a return to this prestigious week long competition.
Hosts Al’s Puk Tawana (North West) will also be making a return to the tournament with Empumalanga Ladies (Mpumalanga) making their first appearance at the tournament. Empumalanga Ladies will look to be the surprise package and repeat the feat that was achieved by Detroit Ladies (Mpumalanga) back in 2009 when they were crowned the inaugural Sasol League National Champions.
