Orlando Pirates set to partner UJ or Wits for women's team agreement

It is just a matter of time before Pirates confirms an agreement with one of these teams that would effectively have them comply with regulations and become eligible to play in next season’s CAF Champions League. 

The Buccaneers qualified for the premier continental competition by virtue of finishing second in the DStv Premiership this past season, but need to tick a few boxes before they can actually register their participation with the continental body.

This is to comply with the CAF Club Licensing regulations that come into effect in the CAF Inter-Club competitions, with Article 27 stating, “the license applicant must have at minimum one women’s first team participating in a competition sanctioned by the Licensor [SAFA].” 

It further highlights, “to comply with this requirement, the license applicant may operate the women’s team itself or have a written agreement with another entity that operates the team.”

It is the latter option that Pirates are looking at exploring, with UJ also having established itself as not just a team in the Super League, but also a well-structured conveyor belt for women’s football through its academy system. 

The regulations also state that the women’s first team in this agreement must take part in “official competitions or programmes played at the national, regional, or local level and recognized by the CAF member association [SAFA].”

This prescript tprompted the Soweto giants to also aproach Wits University, who contest the Sasol Provincial Women’s League, when they started the process of looking to align with a women’s team. 

SABC Sport also understands there’s a long-standing relationship between Pirates and Wits’ football structures, with an existing partnership on development programmes already set up.

The entities have links, with Pirates said to have paid for bursaries for some players, while also loaning players to the University across various divisions in the amateur ranks.

But on the UJ side, the public broadcaster understands there hasn’t been an official approach yet, but when that does happen it will have to go through the higher echelons of the University, who have to make the final call. 

Similarly, all four teams that set to take part in inter-club competitions next season will have to submit their registration forms and comply with the Club Licensing Regulations by the end of June.