Former Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies winger Chuene Morifi has opened up about her experience playing in Israel, discussing the state of women’s football in the country, life amid ongoing conflict and the pride of winning her first European medal with MS Kiryat Gat.
The South African international joined Israeli side MS Kiryat Gat in December 2025 after previous spells in Turkey, with the club hoping her arrival would help them reclaim the league title and secure qualification for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Although the title challenge ultimately fell short, Morifi ended the 2025/26 season on a high after helping Kiryat Gat lift the Women’s State Cup in May, earning the first European medal of her career. They beat Maccabi Hadera 3-2.
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“When I got there [in Israel], the team was in second position, and it was an unfamiliar position because the team had been winning the league for the past five to six years,” she told FARPost.
“It was a difficult position for the team. They brought me in with the hope that the team could go back to first position, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.
“We tried our best, but we managed to win the cup, which was a good thing for me because I’ve always wanted to get a medal from Europe. That is a box I’ve ticked in my football career.”
CHUENE MORIFI ASSESSES WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN ISRAEL
Drawing comparisons with other countries where she has played, Morifi believes women’s football in Israel still has significant room for growth despite attracting foreign talent and investment.
“They still have a long way to go. It’s not yet professionalised. There isn’t much attention to women’s football in Israel as compared to men’s football. The competition isn’t that tight; there are only about four top teams, and then the rest are really not good teams,” Morifi told FARPost.
“About 90% of the games are televised, I think. But I see there’s potential for growth because the investment, in terms of money, is there. They are attracting a lot of foreign players. The players are getting good money. There’s potential to grow, but there is still a long way to go compared to other European countries.”
The CAF Women’s Champions League winner believes the overall standard in Israel is currently ahead of South Africa’s women’s leagues due to the ability of clubs to recruit players from abroad.
“I think the level is different. It’s much better for them because they have foreign players coming into the country. They have better quality and are able to import players. The level is better in that sense because they can offer contracts, whereas in South Africa, there’s no such thing at most clubs.
“There are about two or maybe three teams that are able to contract players, and often the salaries are not that good.”
FORMER SUNDOWNS LADIES STAR ON LIFE IN ISRAEL
Away from football, Morifi describes her time in Israel as a positive experience despite the challenges of living in a conflict-affected country.
The conflict in Israel is a long-standing fight over land, borders, and who gets to control the region, with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming historical and religious rights to the same area. The main arguments are about who owns cities like Jerusalem, how territories like Gaza and the West Bank are governed, and the struggle between Israel’s safety and Palestinian independence. For anyone living there, it means dealing with sudden violence, strict security rules, and constant instability.
“Life in Israel has been interesting. I am not going to lie, life in Israel has been good. It is a good country, especially when it comes to LGBTQ matters; they are very accommodating.
“But life is expensive. Everything is expensive, but it has been good for me except the usual stuff, the war.”
Having now played professionally in South Africa, Turkey and Israel, Morifi continues to build an impressive international career while flying the South African flag abroad.
Written by Busisiwe Mokwena.
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