Noxolo Cesane’s club revealed in Saudi Arabia

The former Cape Town Roses and University of the Western Cape star is now in the colours of Dammam-based Eastern Flames.

Last season The Flames finished in seventh place in the Saudi Women’s Premier League and will be hoping for an improved performance in the 2024/25 campaign that got underway on Friday, 27 September 2024.

Cesane has been seen at training with her new teammates since her arrival this past Wednesday, but it is not clear if she will feature in the opening match of the season against Al Hilal in the capital Riyadh this afternoon.

Al Nassr are the defending champions with back-to-back titles.

READ: Noxolo Cesane swaps UWC for Saudi Arabia

The league will feature 10 teams in total for the first time ever and they will play 90 matches spread across an 18-game week season.

Formed in 2006, Eastern Flames FC is the first women’s football club in the Kingdom and has over the years transformed from a recreational team to a professional outfit.

Cesane is one of the just over 20 foreigners in the league after leaving UWC.

Her last match for the Capetonians was the goalless draw against the University of Pretoria on Sunday, 15 September.

The Gugulethu-born midfielder was instrumental in helping her former employers UWC qualify for their inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League which will be played later this year.

Her twin sister Sinoxolo, is currently based in Mexico, running out in the colours of Mazatlán FC in the Liga MX Femenin.

The siblings could be reunited later next month when Banyana Banyana face Denmark and England in two friendly internationals on 25 and 29 October respectively.

South Africa’s head coach Desiree Ellis is expected to announce the squad for the two games in the upcoming days.