At the halfway mark of the 2023 Hollywoodbets Super League season, UWC could barely ask to be in a better position - they sit top of the log.
 

Coach Thinasonke Mbuli’s team have racked up 13 wins from their opening 15 matches of the campaign, with only two losses, putting their points tally at 39 - one ahead of back-to-back-to-back champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Big-spending newcomers TS Galaxy Queens are a further four points adrift in third going into the second half of the season.

While UWC’s long-time varsity rivals, TUT, and ever-dangerous JVW both had had significant changes to their squads (largely because of TS Galaxy’s splurge), UDubs came into the season with a settled playing group.

Banyana Banyana midfielder Kholosa Biyana returned after two years in Spain as the team’s big signing, while talented winger Nabeelah Galant stepped up from the 2022 Varsity Women’s Football-winning squad. With a few fringe players dropping down to RV United, UWC’s feeder club in the Sasol Regional League, Mbuli has had a squad of 24 players to pick from.
 

They didn’t waste time showing their intentions; in Round 1 back in February they thrashed Coal City Wizards 9-1 - in Witbank. 

Six UWC players then travelled with Banyana Banyana to the Turkish Women’s Cup before the team next played in the league at the end of February. However, it didn’t hamper their promising start - six wins in a row then followed before their first blip of the season.

That 2-1 reverse at home came at the hands of the aforementioned TS Galaxy, who have found their feet quickly after buying Vasco da Gama’s top-flight status.

Undeterred, UWC immediately returned to winning ways sending University Pretoria, City Lads, TUT and Royal AM packing before the top-of-the-table clash against Sundowns.

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The three-time champions got the better of UDubs in their televised fixture, winning 3-0, but once again the ladies in blue and gold showed their ‘bouncebackability’. Subsequent wins against JVW and Durban Ladies have taken them back to the top of the standings. With Ntombifikile Ndlovu, Khanya Xesi (both 10) and Sibulele Holweni (9) making up half of the top six goalscorers this season, and a determined defence already keeping nine clean sheets, its clear that something special is brewing in Bellville.

On Saturday, 3 June UWC kickstart the second half of the season with a home fixture against Coal City Wizards who are currently second-last on the table. Follow UWC Sport’s social media channels to see how well UDubs’ ladies fare.