Community support pours in for history making United coach

Community support has already started pouring in for the first-ever woman coach of Alex United Football Club.

First in the queue to congratulate the newly appointed Tracy-Lee Pepper was the Andrew Radebe branch of the ANC Women’s League in Ward 116. The league’s secretary Naomi Khunou met with Pepper at Balfour Park Stadium which is the temporary home base of the team to wish the new coach well.

The team is currently using Balfour Park Stadium while their home ground in Alex, Alexandra Stadium is currently undergoing renovations. Khunou met Pepper soon after she completed her training session with the team. “I have come here to personally wish Tracy all the best in her new role as head coach of our Alex team,” said Khunou. “I have come here as the bearer of glad tidings not just from our branch of the ANC Women’s League, but from the community of Alexandra as well.

“We pray for Tracy to succeed in her new role, as you are all aware of the pitfalls of football. You may be a coach today, but you are not assured of that tomorrow, hence we pray for her to excel and live longer in that position than anybody else.”

Khunou said the league viewed Pepper’s appointment as part of a wider call from the government in empowering the women of the country. “In the new democratic dispensation in this country, there is nothing like a men-only sport or activity.

“As the league, we would like to congratulate Tracy as becoming the first female coach of a male soccer team in South Africa. We wish her good luck and hope she can make all the women proud and prove that it can be done.”