Women’s football is on the rise in Alexandra as yet another development tournament is born.
The Andisiwe Mgcoyi Women’s Tournament which held its inaugural games on 2 September at the Altrek Sports Complex, is a third additional tournament to the already successful JM Busha Women’s Soccer Tournament and the Maimane Alfred Phiri (Map) Games.
Five teams, some with two teams each in the U15 and U17 age groups – among them being the Randburg AFC, DK Stars from Diepkloof in Soweto, Katlehong Ladies from Katlehong, Springs Home Sweepers from KwaThema and Bluebirds Ladies from Alexandra, participated in the tournament that would become an annual event.
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Speaking to Alex News, tournament founder and Banyana Banyana and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies’ player, Mgcoyi (29) said she had chosen Alex as the base of her tournament as it was the launch pad for her football career in Johannesburg with Sundowns Ladies.
“I was born in Thokoza but grew up in Cape Town, and I will also be launching another similar tournament in Cape Town in honour of my second home,” she said.
The striking supremo of the multi-championship winning side Sundowns Ladies said she started her football career with Cape Town Roses and later moved to Red Eagles in the Super League before being snapped up by Sundowns Ladies.
Mgcoyi spent four-and-half years playing in Europe for FKM Nové Zámky in Slovakia (three years), Dorogi Diófa in Hungary (one year) and FC Saarbrücken in Germany (six months) before returning home to Sundowns Ladies.
Although happy to be back at home, Mgcoyi said if there was an opportunity to return to Europe she would grab it with both hands. “I learnt a lot overseas and I would like to share those lessons back home in a development capacity.”
She plans to select 20 girls from each age group of this tournament in Alexandra to play in the Cape Town tournament later in the year and vice-versa in the coming year when the Alex tournament holds its second edition of the games.
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“My dream has always been to establish an academy of my own where I would start training these young girls at a tender age of six years. While I was in Europe I noticed how productive early soccer grooming of the children was.
“Six-year-olds in Europe have amazing ball skills which are an indication of the importance of early grooming.”
Besides football development, Mgcoyi also believes that education is important for the children. “I intend offering the children bursaries to further their education as soccer is a short-lived career and they will need something else to sustain them for many more years to come after soccer.”
Mgcoyi is hoping sponsors will come on board to help her dream take off but in the meantime, the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation offered her kits and medals while her local organising committee also provided support.
“I am planting a seed that I would very much like to see grow from strength to strength,” said Mgcoyi, who plans to become a fitness coach once she hangs up her boots and also hopes to acquire a coaching certificate. ”
“It’s not easy to stop playing, the more I grow, the more mature my play becomes.”
Details: Andisiwe.Mgcoyi@gmail.com
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