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Women’s football makes strides ... but a lot still needs to be done

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Fighting inequality in football JVW FC captain Nompumelelo Nyandeni evades Refilwe Kobote of Royal Wizards in a Sasol National Championship Women’s League match recentlyPHOTO: Sydney Mahlangu / BackpagePix
Fighting inequality in football JVW FC captain Nompumelelo Nyandeni evades Refilwe Kobote of Royal Wizards in a Sasol National Championship Women’s League match recentlyPHOTO: Sydney Mahlangu / BackpagePix

While there has been movement in the quest to improve and finally give recognition to women’s football in South Africa, a lot still needs to be done to level the playing field.

This was evident during this week’s Sasol National Championship Women’s League at Tsakane Stadium.

Eastern Cape-based Executive Ladies FC coach Vuyo Ndou bemoaned the lack of support for clubs outside Gauteng.

Ndou said teams from provinces like his were always at a disadvantage when facing Gauteng-based teams due to inequality in the system.

“We are a team from the Eastern Cape and I have realised that we have fallen far behind in relation to the progress being made in women’s football in other parts of the country,” he said. His side was hammered 12-0 by JVW FC – from Bedfordview – in the group stage on day one of the competition.

However, Ndou commended Safa for eventually launching the Safa National Women’s League in August.

The league consists of 12 teams. Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies are top of the table and unbeaten in 12 matches so far.

“We are happy Safa has gone ahead with the creation of the women’s soccer league,” said JVW coach Ciara Picco.

“There is a fantastic amount of talent in South Africa and the women deserve to showcase it. There is definitely a talent pool here that is untapped. At this tournament [the Sasol championships], we saw players who can hold the ball, dribble and more.

“Banyana qualifying for the World Cup was a really big thing, and I feel as if that laid the foundation and got the ball rolling for the association to finally get the league up and running.”

However, former Alex United FC coach Tracy-lee Pepper – the first woman to have coached in the third division – believes a lot more can still be done.

“Unless every PSL has a woman’s team, no difference will have been made,” she said.

“Woman footballers are still deprived of a proper structure. I do not believe there is much difference or change between three years ago and now.”

Pepper emphasised that the lack of sponsorship and funding in women’s football in the country had been and was still a huge problem.

Safa said this week that the newly established national league had “attracted a huge amount of interest”.

The federation’s acting chief executive, Gay Mokoena, said one of the major financial institutions, a telecoms company and a beauty product manufacturer, were keen to come on board.

In this afternoon’s final, JVW FC will meet Ma-Indies from Limpopo at 3pm in the battle for the R200 000 first prize purse.

By virtue of reaching the final, the two have also qualified to play in the Safa National Women’s League.

It is not surprising that the two teams have made it to the final as they better represent the big gap on the playing fields.

Royal Wizards will face Sunflower in the bronze medal contest.


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