Young women soccer players dream of bright football future
With people such as Mxolisi Mtshali, Simunye Sporting Development FC coach, who is passionate about women’s football development, the future of women’s soccer in South Africa is assured.
The Vosloorus-based Mtshali is concerned that there are few women’s soccer teams in the townships. In a small way, to add to the small numbers, Mtshali has added two girls’ soccer teams, the u-11, and u-12, to his already four existing men’s soccer teams, which boasts of the u-11, u-13 and u-15 squads. He also has a senior team.
He said he was impressed with the progress made to boost South African women’s soccer teams, particularly the brave showing of Banyana Banyana who were crowned Cosafa champions recently.
“I was inspired by the Banyana Banyana performance and felt like adding another woman wing to my soccer development programme,” said Mtshali.
He said most of his players are below the age of 10, which was the correct age to nurture and develop talent, also noting that he needed to have more balls to use in training to help develop young talent.
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“In order for the players to get proper development, the team needs to have more balls so that each player will have their own ball to use to manipulate the ball and in the process, develop the skill. The difficulty, though, is that we do not have funds to buy the needed equipment, including balls,” Mtshali told Kathorus MAIL.
He said he was about to retire from football. “I felt it would be great to retire after fulfilling my dream of starting a successful ladies soccer team in the township.”
Dineo Mlaba (10), one of the players, said she loves football. “Like each one of us here in the team, I would like to play for the national team and represent the country. But there is a possibility that we might not live that dream since we lack important facilities that can assist to develop us as players,” said Mlaba.
She said the team needed a soccer kit if they are to make significant progress in football.
“We desperately need soccer kits. The situation is dire that if boys play, we have to stay back at home, or watch from the stands, because we share the football kit with them,” she said.
Simunye Sporting Development FC women’s soccer team is in need of soccer kits, soccer boots, cones and beeps.
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If anyone would like to help, they may contact Mtshali on 079 1320 107 or Kathorus MAIL on 087 285 6475.
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