Exciting future ahead, says UWC captain on their win in the COSAFA qualifiers

Following a 1-1 stalemate at the end of extra time, the students defeated a stubborn Gaborone United from Botswana 9-8 on penalties to enter the history books as the first university team to win the competition.

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Motau says this shows the growth of women’s football in South Africa.

 ''It means a lot, it shows that our league is one of the best leagues on the continent. It shows women's football in our country is growing in leaps and bounds. We put in so much work as a University team, and make so many sacrifices, we have students on our team who still have to focus on school while playing football. We will be coming in as first timers in the Champions League but I think we are going to grow from this experience and hopefully everything goes well,'' said  Motau.

Motau says the victory comes at the back of a journey that started a few years ago.

''To be honest with you, words fail me, you can hear from my voice. I am so happy for my team, I am proud of my teammates and technical staff, there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. The journey started in 2019, to be here today is amazing. I don't want to lie,'' said Motau.

To record their success, Motau and her teammates had to endure a difficult 90 minutes, extra time, as well as the dreaded penalty shootout, with nerves on cloud nine.

''It is the nature of football, it was nerve wracking, so much pressure. Even with me, I couldn't finish the game and someone stepped up and did their best. It was nerve wracking but we did it,'' she concluded.

Following their triumph, the UWC midfielder has described the win as massive, saying it is a clear indication they are one of the best teams on the continent.