HOLLYWOODBETS Super League newbies Lindelani Ladies have not taken too long to grab the attention of the South African football fraternity.
The KwaZulu-Natal-based outfit had garnered the half-hearted support of many neutrals ahead of the new season with their inspirational story of promotion.
However, the young group, who hail from Ntuzuma in Durban, caught the wrong kind of attention last week when they formed part of a bizarre brawl with provincial rivals Royal AM on national television.
In what has been perceived as a fit of rage the two teams headed into the 90th minute level at one-all but a late winner by AM ignited the chaos as the two teams tore each other apart with heavy blows, with the officials needing extra help to split the two sets of players.
This occurrence has unsurprisingly been condemned by the South African Football Association (Safa) and has been processed for an appearance in front of the disciplinary committee (DC) of the football governing body.
“What was meant to be an entertaining KZN derby in women’s football turned out to put the integrity of the women’s game in disarray. Safa has received the match commissioner’s report following the incident caught live on SABC1,” Safa said in a statement.
“The referee’s report will also be studied before the two teams are called into a disciplinary hearing. This after a fight broke out on the pitch and forced the referee to give five red cards in the dying minutes of the game.”
Having received three red cards after the incident, second-from-bottom Lindelani is now tasked with the difficult job of putting together a team that will take on Galaxy, who are also looking to kick-start their season.
Lindelani have been in free-fall since their dream opening-day victory and have gone on to lose five and draw one of their next six games, the kind of form that has seen them above only Thunderbirds Ladies, who are yet to register a point after seven games.
On the opposite dugout, the Queens of Galaxy have already made drastic changes to their technical team this season, having fired head coach Ashraf Calvert following their defeat by the University of Fort Hare last weekend.
Sizwe Sibiya, who was replaced by Calvert ahead of the 2024 season, will now return to his seat with ambitions to elevate Galaxy from the ninth spot they hold at present.
With four wins and three losses to their name, Galaxy are having an inconsistent start to the season and will look to get back to winning ways against a Lindelani Ladies side still staggered by the spotlight of top-flight football.
The two teams will meet at the King Zwelithini Stadium in uMlazi on Sunday at 11.30 am.