Silver Spears Ladies Football Club, which is managed by the amazing blind coach Dumisani Ntombela, has pulled out of the JM Busha Women’s Tournament in Alexandra citing cash flow problems.
Spears was supposed to have been part of the 12 teams from townships around Gauteng taking part in the two-day tournament which begins at the Altrek Sports Complex on 19 March, with the knockout stages and finals on the following day at the Alexandra Stadium.
Contacted for comment, Ntombela said financial problems had cost his team’s appearance at the inaugural tournament. “The budget we currently have is not even enough to take us into the start of the Sasol Women’s League and we could not afford a tournament in-between,” Ntombela said.
He said he was hoping to use the R8 000 owed to the club by the South African Football Association (Safa) for winning the league and also the allowance of R3 000 for taking part in the Gauteng region’s promotional play-offs which his team also won. As a result, Spears will now ply its trade in the Sasol League.
“When I asked them last year when the league winnings would be paid out, Safa said they would pay me at the end of January, January became the end of February and end of February is now the end of March. I am being sent from pillar to post by Safa,” he said.
Ntombela said his team had managed to secure a donation of R10 000 from Power FM. The agreement with the radio station is that the money would be used to pay for the use of a stadium for their home games.
“With our first game scheduled for either 2 or 3 April, I am desperately keeping my fingers crossed that Power FM honours its word as it would go a long way to alleviate the financial burden currently resting on our shoulders,” said Ntombela.
Spears, which is an Ekurhuleni team based in Vosloorus, has been drawn in Group B of the Sasol League in Gauteng and will play teams such as AmaTuks, Vaal University of Technology, North West University, Springs Home Sweepers, Soweto Fabulous, Tshwane University of Technology and Pull Together from Mamelodi.
Details: Dumisani Ntombela 072 630 2813.
