2023 SAFA Women's League

SAFA Women's League

Season	2023
Dates	4 Feb 2023 - 6 Dec 2023
Champions	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (6th title)
Promoted	University of Fort Hare Lindelani Ladies
Relegated	Coal City Wizards Ma-Indies Ladies
2024 COSAFA Women's Champions League	University of the Western Cape
Matches played	240
Goals scored	697 (2.9 per match)
Best Player	Boitumelo Rabale
Top goalscorer	Sphumelele Shamase (22 goals)
Best goalkeeper	Kaylin Swart
Biggest home win	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies 11-0 Coal City Wizards (18 October 2023))
Biggest away win	Coal City Wizards 0-9 Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies (7 May 2023)
Highest scoring	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies 11-0 Coal City Wizards (18 October 2023)
Longest winning run	(14 games) UWC
Longest unbeaten run	(17 games) Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
Longest winless run	(17 games) Ma-Indies Ladies
Longest losing run	(13 games) Ma-Indies Ladies
← 2022 2024 → All statistics correct as of 21 December 2023.

The 2023 SAFA Women's League was the fourth season of the professional SAFA Women's League, and the 15th season of nation-wide league competition in women's football in South Africa. ^[1] It was the 2nd season played with 16 teams.

Teams

The 2022 season ended with Golden Ladies and Tsunami Queens relegated to the Sasol Women's League, ^[2] while Vasco Da Gama changed its name to TS Galaxy Queens after it was purchased by Tim Sukazi, who owns TS Galaxy FC. ^[3] Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies sold its status to Shauwn Mkhize, and was replaced by Royal AM. ^[4] Two teams joined the league. Copperbelt Ladies won the 2021 Sasol League National Championship, while the University of Pretoria were runners-up.

Stadiums and Locations

Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity	2022 season
City Lads	Ibhayi	Isaac Wolfson Stadium	10,000	12th
Coal City Wizards	eMalahleni	Puma Stadium	24,000	13th
Copperbelt Ladies	Polokwane	Rugby field adjoining Old Peter Mokaba Stadium		2nd in SWL
Durban Ladies	Durban	Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium	6,500	10th
First Touch FC	Polokwane	Baroka Village	1,000 [5]	9th
JVW FC	Johannesburg	Wits Stadium	5,000	4th
Ma-Indies Ladies	Polokwane	Giyani Stadium	20,000	8th
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies	Pretoria	Loftus versfeid stadium	51,762	1st
Richmond United	Northern Cape	Merino Park Stadium	200 [6]	7th
Royal AM	Pietermaritzburg	Harry Gwala Stadium	6,500	6th
Thunderbirds Ladies	Gqeberha	Sisa Dukashe Stadium	17,000	11th
TS Galaxy Queens	Mbombela	Solomon Mahlangu Stadium	5,000	14th
Tswane University of Technology	Pretoria	TUT Stadium	2,500 [7]	4th
University of Johannesburg	Johannesburg	UJ Stadium	8,000	5th
University of Pretoria	Pretoria	UJ Stadium	8,000	1st in SWL
University of Western Cape	Cape Town	UWC Stadium	2,500	2nd

N.B. some teams play their home matches at multiple stadia (e.g. some of Durban Ladies 2023 matches were played at Noordelikes Rugby Club in Polokwane); locations listed above were the most common location for 2023 home matches.

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies(C)	30	26	3	1	97	15	+82	81	Champions League Qualifiers
2	University of the Western Cape	30	25	0	5	66	17	+49	75
3	JVW	30	19	6	5	53	28	+25	63
4	TS Galaxy Queens	30	18	7	5	62	22	+40	61
5	Royal AM Women	30	16	7	7	53	29	+24	55
6	University of Pretoria	30	16	4	10	54	34	+20	52
7	Richmond United	30	13	9	8	48	42	+6	48
8	Durban Ladies	30	14	2	14	53	53	0	44
9	University of Johannesburg	30	13	4	13	53	40	+13	43
10	Tshwane University of Technology	30	11	3	16	34	34	0	36
11	First Touch FC	30	8	7	15	30	51	−21	31
12	Copperbelt Ladies	30	7	5	18	26	58	−32	26
13	City Lads	30	7	4	19	29	66	−37	25
14	Thunderbirds Ladies	30	5	5	20	22	59	−37	20
15	Coal City Wizards(R)	30	5	2	23	32	104	−72	17	Relegation to the Sasol Women's League
16	Ma-Indies Ladies (R)	30	2	2	26	18	78	−60	8

Source: https://inqaku.com/leagues/view?season_id=8102&stream_id=-1

Statistics

Top scorers

As of 21 November 2023

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Sphumelele Shamase	University of Johannesburg	22
2	Boitumelo Rabale	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies	19
3	Andisiwe Mgcoyi		17
4	Lucia Gaonwe	Durban Ladies	15
5	Nomvuyo Bhengu	Royal AM Women	14
	Melinda Kgadiete	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
	Nicole Michael	TS Galaxy Queens
9	Kgalebane Mohlakoana	Royal AM Ladies	13
	Michelle Sampson	Richmond United

Most clean sheets

Rank	Player	Club	Clean sheets
1	Kaylin Swart	JVW FC	14
2	Kebotseng Moletsane	Royal AM Women	12
	Regirl Ngobeni	UWC
4	Sedilame Boseja	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC	10
5	Elizabeth Mazivise	University of Johannesburg	9
6	Dineo Magagula	TS Galaxy Queens	8
7	Dineo Kabai	Richmond United	7
8	Andile Dlamini	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC	5
	Asa Rabalao	UP-Tuks Ladies
	Magabene Polori	First Touch FC

Awards

Award	Winner	Club
Player of the season	Boitumelo Rabale	Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
Fan's Player of the season	Chuene Morifi
Goalkeeper of the season	Kaylin Swart	JVW
Top goalscorer of the season	Sphumelele Shamase	University of Johannesburg
Coach of the season	Thinasonke Mbuli	UWC
Young player of the season	Mmabatho Mogale	UP-Tuks Ladies
Administrator of the season	Boitumelo Lekalakala

Boitumelo Rabale was crowned the South African Football Journalists’ Association’s (Safja) Women’s Footballer of the Year. ^[8]

References

1. "NCPD Tests". Orthopaedic Nursing. 42 (1): 46–47. January 2023. doi:10.1097/nor.0000000000000919. ISSN   0744-6020.
2. CentreCircle (2022-11-16). "Golden Ladies and Tsunami Queens axed as Copperbelt Ladies and Tuks Ladies FC replace them in the Hollywoodbets Super League". Centre Circle. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
3. itumelengm (2023-01-12). "TS Galaxy acquire Hollywoodbets Super League status for their ladies' team". Mpumalanga News. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
4. "Shawn Mkhize Buys New Football Club, Royal AM Ladies FC". iHarare News. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
5. "Baroka FC Village". FastScore. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
6. "May 2021 issue - Sports & Play". Issuu. Pro Landscaper Africa magazine. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
7. "TUT Stadium". SoccerWay. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
8. "SAFJA and Hollywoodbets celebrate the 2023/24 football change makers | soccer". SABC. 2024-10-18. Retrieved 2025-01-07.