Buffalo City’s shot at getting a side in the top flight of women’s football, the Hollywoodbets Super League, has taken a step back as one of the province’s big teams, Nav Galaxy, is selling its Sasol League status due to financial difficulties.
This was revealed by the team’s head coach and chair, Asavela Nyeleka, during the week.
It is likely the team will return to the second-tier league of SA women’s football.
Nyeleka said they are going to sell the status and start from scratch at the regional level, as he finds it hard to maintain the expenses of the Sasol Women’s League.
”I’m running the club all alone and costs are high and I couldn’t handle them. It’s hard to get business and other footballing stakeholders to support us," Nyeleka said.
“Remember, the Sasol League has 12 games, and for half of those you have to travel away. The majority of the teams in our coastal stream are on the Nelson Mandela side, which means each time we travel, we have to spend R5,000 or more on transport depending on the driver we are using on that particular occasion.
“Also when playing at home, the preparation is also hard because the teams come from various areas in the city, not just in Eziphunzana where we are based.”
Galaxy has been raising the Buffalo City flag in the league for the past three years. In the recent season, they missed out by a narrow two points on being crowned the coastal champions.
Cloe Rulf, the league’s leading goal scorer with five goals, came from the ranks of Nav Galaxy, and their goalkeeper Unako Koyana was in the top three of the most clean sheets in the league, inland and coastal.
Koyana was called up for the SA U20 women’s team camp as they prepared for the 2026 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in February. She had got tongues wagging in the province and was earmarked to be the next star in the making who could play for Banyana Banyana in time.
“All of the players were gutted when informed about letting go of the team from the Sasol League, but I told them it is not the end of the road. We can be rescued and play at Sasol level next season,” Nyeleka said.
The Sasol League is expected to commence after May.
Nyeleka is confident they will get the club up to speed from the regional level again to compete on the bigger stage once more.
Their developmental team, which consisted of players who were already at senior level in the Sasol League, were the winners of the prestigious Engen tournament Eastern Cape leg in 2024. They ended up representing the Eastern Cape at nationals. They missed out by a whisker in reaching the final in the 2025 Eastern Cape leg.
Daily Dispatch