Thunderbirds Ladies F.C. is a women's soccer club based in Butterworth, Eastern Cape. The team competes in the SAFA Women's League, the top tier women's football league in South Africa.[1]
| Full name | Thunderbirds Ladies Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Birds |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Ground | Sisa Dukashe Stadium |
| Capacity | 17 000 |
| Coordinates | 32.9469° S, 27.7601° E |
| Head coach |  Phumlani Matshobeni |
| League | SAFA Women's League |
| 2023 | 14th |
History
editIn 2017, they won their first Eastern Cape Sasol League which qualified them to the 2017 Sasol League National Championship where they placed third overall.[2]
The club defended their Eastern Cape Sasol League title in 2018 and competed in the 2018 Sasol League National Championship were they placed sixth overall.[3][4]
In the 2023 season, the team avoided relegation by finishing 14th in the log with only 3 points separating them and 15th placed Coal City Wizards.[5][6]The team managed 5 wins, 5 draws, and 20 losses.
The club recorded the worst start to the SAFA Women's League in the 2024 season with 10 defeats in a row conceding 39 goals and only scoring 4 in 10 matches.[7][8] In September after a 6-0 loss to UWC Ladies, they were officially relegated after 5 season in the top flight.[9]
Players
editCurrent squad
editTechnical team
edit| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Phumlani Matshobeni[10] |
| Team Manager | Gugulethu Diko[11] |
Team Statistics
editSAFA Women's League record
edit| Season | Pos | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pst | |||
| 2019-20 | 10th place | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 63 | (34) | 16 | |
| 2021 | 7th place | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 40 | (11) | 35 | |
| 2022 | 11th place | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 40 | 50 | (10) | 35 | |
| 2023 | 14th place | 30 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 22 | 59 | (37) | 20 | |
| 2024 | 16th place | 25 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 12 | 100 | (88) | 3 | |
- Gold = Champions
- Red = Relegated
Honours
edit- Eastern Cape Sasol League: 2017, 2018
- Sasol League National Championship: Third: 2017
References
edit- ^ Razya, Anele. "Soccer teams prepare for new season". News24. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "Celtic defend their Sasol League National Championship title - SAFA.net". 2017-12-09. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "TUT Ladies crowned Sasol National League champs | Goal.com South Africa". www.goal.com. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "Thunderbirds keep pressure on City Lads in EC Sasol League - SAFA.net". 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ Raziya, Anele. "Thunderbirds Ladies' struggles continue". News24. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ Raziya, Anele. "Thunderbirds Ladies could still avoid being relegated". News24. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ Raziya, Anele. "Thunderbirds Ladies prepare for new season". News24. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ Kganyago, Lethabo (2024-05-02). "Sundowns Thrash City Lads In Eight-Goal Humdinger". iDiski Times. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
- ^ "Thunderbirds Ladies relegated from Hollywoodbets Super League | soccer". SABC. 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "Thunderbirds Ladies coach confident of Hollywoodbets Super League survival | soccer". SABC. 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "A cry for help from Thunderbirds Ladies | soccer". SABC. 2024-07-14. Retrieved 2024-09-25.