Women's team a must for PSL teams in Champs League – Safa

As the race for second spot finish is heating up in the DStv Premiership, Safa president Danny Jordaan has weighed in with a reminder about the condition for a women's team for clubs to campaign in the CAF Champions League. 

From next season only clubs with women teams will be allowed to participate in the Champions League. SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs are the teams vying to finish second to qualify for the Champions League and three do not have women's teams. This means the  qualification of one of them could be meaningless, unless the women's team matter is sorted out swiftly. 

"Next year, CAF will have a regulation that if you want to play in the Champions League, then you must have a women's team. Therefore, those teams that are fighting for the second place on the log must understand that if they get to second place and qualify for the Champions League they must have a women's team,'' Jordaan said on the sidelines of the Fifa Women's World Cup trophy tour event at Shapa Nike Centre in Klipspruit, Soweto, yesterday.

The Safa head honcho also reckons the return of many Banyana stars from Europe to ply their trade in the Hollywoodbets Super League is a sign that the league is commercially viable. Veteran right-back Lebogang Ramalepe recently joined Mamelodi Sundowns after parting ways with Belarusian side Dinamo Minsk, while midfielder Nomvula "Lipstick Lady" Kgoale linked-up with TS Galaxy Queens after a stint with a few Spanish teams such as Cacereño and Parquesol.

"It shows, from the financial point of view, that our Hollywoodbets League is becoming competitive and comparable in terms of revenues with some of the leagues in Europe. Lebogang Ramalepe is back and of course she goes to Sundowns and we don't hope every player goes to Sundowns,'' Jordaan said.

The Women's World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20 this year. Banyana are in Group G alongside Sweden, Italy and Argentina.