Baby Wolves hunt maximum points against TUT
University of Fort Hare coach Simphiwe Mafene knows his charges need nothing less than a full house of points when they face TUT in their Hollywoodbets Super League clash on Sunday.
Heading into the weekend, the University of Fort Hare side sits fifth in the Super Rise stream after recording one win and three draws, while also forfeiting points and two goals to Ezemvelo Women’s FC after missing their fixture because of transport problems.
Despite their position on the table, the Baby Wolves have impressed in the revamped Super League and will welcome the opportunity to take on the Pretoria-based side in Alice.
Four matches will take place at Davidson Stadium across Saturday and Sunday as part of the league’s new “weekend festival” format.
New-look Super League
The structure of South Africa’s premier women’s football competition was changed this year, moving from a single 16-team section to two streams of eight teams known as Super Rise and Super Era.
The change is aimed at easing the financial burden on clubs, creating stronger match-day experiences and improving the league’s broadcast product.
It also paves the way for a two-division structure from 2027, with promotion and relegation matches expected to add further competitiveness to the competition.
Mafene is under no illusions about what is at stake for his side.
The University of Fort Hare women’s team first qualified for the league in 2024 and surprised many by finishing ninth overall in their maiden campaign.
If they are to feature in the top tier next year, they will need to start collecting points consistently in their stream.
Mafene believes they can begin that push against TUT.
Fort Hare hold the recent advantage
Fort Hare did the double over TUT last season, recording a 2-1 away victory before securing a comprehensive 4-0 win in the return fixture at home.
That formed part of a strong campaign that saw the Alice-based side finish fourth on the final log.
However, Mafene is not taking TUT lightly, particularly with the Pretoria side currently sitting third on the log.
“They are well structured and their game has improved a lot,” he said earlier this week. “They tend to play from the middle of the park.”
Mafene believes his team can exploit weaknesses in TUT’s defence and attacking line, where he feels the visitors have struggled to find the right combinations.
“We can’t allow them the space to play so we are aiming to put them in panic mode from the start,” he said.
Goals the priority for Baby Wolves
The statistics show that the Alice side have been strong defensively throughout the season, despite the recent departure of Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Palesa Moletsane to defending Super League champions Sundowns.
But for Mafene, the priority on Sunday is clear: goals.
He will look to Banyana Banyana forwards Kesha Hendricks and Michelle Sampson, who have both been in excellent form this season, to lead the attacking charge.
With Fort Hare having already dropped points in several drawn matches, their upcoming clashes against UJ and JVW later in the season could take on even greater importance.
The race for points in the Super Rise stream could become increasingly tight, leaving little room for further dropped points.
Having already had a “test run” against those opponents during the first phase of the competition, Mafene believes he has enough information about their strengths and weaknesses to prepare his team for the challenges ahead.
Weekend fixtures
The weekend festival gets underway on Saturday, with UJ taking on JVW while City Lads face Ezemvelo Women’s FC.
On Sunday, Ramatlaohle Ladies will meet First Touch FC in the opening match before Fort Hare face TUT at 3pm.
For the Baby Wolves, the objective is simple: maximum points and another step towards securing a place in the top tier when the league structure changes next season.
