Sasol League successfully carries out its mandate: Ellis

The future of the Sasol League is bright and its broader role in women’s football in South Africa is still significant and very relevant.

Established in 2009, the second-tier league that is active in all nine provinces will continue to produce players destined for higher honours.

The league is the ideal launch pad for talented women’s football players. It’s here where coaches and agents scout for talent, hoping to unearth the next rough diamond.

Asanda Hadebe was such a rough diamond but has since become a polished one. She made her senior national debut at the tender age of 16 after she was spotted plying her trade in the Sasol League.

She is now a member of the very successful Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.

The league also produced other star players who went on to play for Banyana Banyana such as Thembi Kgatlana and Refilwe Jane.

“Well, playing in the Sasol league gives players an opportunity to showcase their talent, an opportunity to showcase their skills. You know it’s a difficult competition to play in and with the national championship it’s never easy you know for players to go out there to make sure that they qualify for Hollywood Super League and there is so much potential in our country, there’s so much that needs to be unearthed and with Sasol they give us that opportunity and that advantage and that platform to showcase our talent and this is what makes it more amazing,” says Jane.

Desiree Ellis has been in charge of Banyana Banyana since 2016 and has firsthand experience of the kind of talent the Sasol League produces. And she believes it successfully carries out its mandate.

“Before the Hollywood Super League came on board, we had Sasol League in nine provinces and obviously if we look back at the 2019 Banyana squad, the consistency of players coming through the Sasol League. 2023 squad, the Olympics played came from the consistency of Sasol League. So all the best players cannot play in the Hollywood Bet Super League. So, there are really good players out there, like you said Asanda Hadebe played in the Sunflower now got snatched up by Mamelodi Sundowns. It’s up to the players to raise their hands because we always looking to making the call of Banyana Banyana bigger.”

Sasol’s Vice President of Group Brand and Communication, Elton Fortuin says they will continue to be at the forefront of transforming women’s football in the country.

“This is the eleventh edition of the Sasol League national champ. As Sasol, we are absolutely delighted to play a part in developing our women’s football talent in the country. The Sasol League serves as the pipeline, the talent pipeline for the national teams and through the league we often find that our young athletes get scouted for the national teams and international teams, so we are absolutely delighted and proud to continue this partnership with SAFA,” Fortuin explains.

The Sasol League kicks off on the 15th of next month.