Fort Hare have locked in a second season of Hollywoodbets Super League football following a stunning debut at the highest level of the sport.
With only one match to go, they are sitting pretty in ninth on the 16-team log, with the possibility of finishing in the top eight should they dispatch UWC in Alice next Wednesday.
The Forth Hare women earned their spot among South Africa’s football elite after winning the second-tier Sasol League in 2023.
They set themselves one goal at the start of the season: stay in the league.
That they have done so comfortably speaks to both the talent within their ranks as well as the excellent team culture that has developed.
Much of the credit can go to Sipho Cottage, who began the year as UFH’s goalkeeping mentor before taking over the role of head coach in August.
Since then, the Baby Wolves have recorded five wins, two draws and one loss, guaranteeing another season in the top flight.
Cottage previously coached Mthatha-based Mighty Eagles, who competes in the ABC Motsepe League. This experience stood him in good stead when he took the reins at UFH.
Kesha Hendricks, who has been a colossus for the Baby Wolves in their debut Hollywoodbets Super League season, has been rewarded with a call-up to Banyana Banyana’s B team. Photo: Full Stop Communications
“I am so happy. The mandate was given by management to keep the team in the league and we did that,” Cottage said.
“We have become a team who can compete in this league. We learnt a lot playing against the big teams like Sundowns and TS Galaxy.”
Particularly satisfying were their wins against leading student outfits Tuks and TUT, both of whom have played in the Super League for some time.
Fort Hare’s arrival on the big stage saw midfielder Kesha Hendricks and goalkeeper Nokuphumla Mpatsiyana being called up to the senior Banyana Banyana B team for this month’s Cosafa Championships.
Cottage said their selection was a big achievement for the university and added that his players were hungry for more now that they had had a taste of Super League football.
The coach and his technical team are already thinking ahead, recruiting several students who have been playing in the Sasol League.
Their focus during the scouting process has mostly been on building strength in defence and attack.
“We have identified players by watching their games and then gone to their teams to negotiate terms,” he said.
“We need a balance. If someone like Kesha gets injured, we need to have these players. That’s why we’ve beefed up the squad.”
The young newcomers will also be eligible to play in University Sports South Africa competitions, which offer a chance to play Varsity Football should they do well.
Gauging by their performance in their first season, Cottage believed Fort Hare had what it took to place among the top four sides in 2025.
Even when fatigue and injuries threatened to derail the back-end of their campaign, they had managed to hold their own against some top teams.
Their away record has been impressive as well.
In the past eight weeks alone, they held Durban Ladies to a 1-1 draw, secured the same result against City Lads, bested Lindelani Ladies 2-1, drew 2-2 with Richmond United, thrashed Thunderbirds 4-0 and took the prize scalp of TUT 1-0.
Cottage said everyone had contributed to Fort Hare’s solid start in Super League football.
“I want to thank the technical team as well as UFH’s management for giving me the opportunity to become coach in our first season,” he said.
“I also want to thank the players and supporters. Without their support, we would not have been able to come away with maximum points from some of our games.”