Former South African Football Association (Safa) presidential hopeful Ria Ledwaba has called for more sponsors and teams to be formed in order to strengthen and capacitate the women’s soccer league.
She said this would lead to the creation of more talented players fit to play for Banyana Banyana.
Ledwaba was speaking to Sowetan following Banyana’s historic victory over Morocco on Saturday night. She said Banyana’s triumph meant a lot to female footballers who play in the lower leagues.
''I am happy about their victory. It is an encouragement for the young girls who are playing in the regional, Sasol and super leagues. I can guarantee you that all those girls watched that game. Each and every one of them would want to see themselves playing there. They are going to be motivated to play better in their teams so that the coach can select them to the national team.
''It is imperative that we now have a professional league for women. The national league that has already been formed has shown that it has benefits. There is also an academy and high performance centre. They should accommodate more girls so that the coach can have more players to select for the world cup. We should start preparing now,’’ she said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also took to Twitter to congratulate Banyana.
"They promised me that they would bring the trophy home. We cannot wait to welcome you back and thank you for flying the flag!’’
Meanwhile, Sowetan took to the streets and spoke to several people in Johannesburg about how they feel about Banyana's victory.
Themba Mathwasa, 67, from Dobsonville said꞉ “I knew they will win against Morocco. These girls play really good football. They have a lot of players who are playing overseas, some in Europe. This is a big achievement for them. They played so many times in the final without winning but this time they did a good job.”
Andile Khanzi, 34, said Banyana did the nation proud. “A lot of people do not take them serious but they produce great performances. They perform well all the time but they are underpaid. I hope the government can pay them more and reward them.”
Bongani Buthelezi, 51, from Hillbrow, said꞉ “They did a good job. It is for the first time that they are bringing the trophy in our country. They should keep up the good work and aim for more performances like this.''
Todani Makatu, 26, from Alexandra, said꞉ ''This is a great milestone for the team. They are now challenging the guys. The women do not even have a league of their own but they have won this African title. They are a determined group and should be acknowledged by the government. They deserve the credit.’’
kokam@sowetan.co.za
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