The Free State’s hope for a women’s football team to secure top rank status was dealt yet another devastating blow after the Ixias football club dismally failed in its bid. The outfit, hailing from the Welkom campus of the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, was eliminated in the group stage of the Sasol National League promotion playoffs held at the Dr RP Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein.
This was the club’s second attempt to gain promotion to a more affluent ranking after a prior unsuccessful bid in 2021.
The team was required to win at least three crucial matches.
Of these fixtures, two were against the Limpopo-based Ramatlaohle FC and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in order to qualify for the semifinal.
The other must-win fixture was in the semifinal, to secure one of only two slots in the top rank of the Hollywoodbets Super League.
The University of Fort Hare (UFH) team from the Eastern Cape and Lindelani FC from KwaZulu-Natal were promoted to the top rank.
The Eastern Cape team was crowned the champions, thereby taking home the grand prize of R200 000, while Lindelani was awarded the runner-up prize of R100 000.
The Ixias side managed to secure just one point after playing to a one-all draw against Ramatlaohle. The team lost 0 – 3 to the UWC.
The poor run by the Free State team reflects the decline of football in the province in recent years. Last year the women’s team of the CUT’s Bloemfontein campus also failed to gain promotion at the national playoffs held in Limpopo.
The province was dealt major blows when the Qwaqwa-based side Tsunami Queens was relegated last year, along with the sale of the Bloemfontein Celtic women’s team franchise.
