SIDIBENG.- Lately much has been said and written about the need for Vaal to have a representative in top-flight football.
The Gauteng Provincial Commissioner for Police, Lieutenant General Ellias Mawela entered the long list of people who raised a concern about Vaal not having a representative in the top flight of South African football like in the past.
The Commissioner for Police, who has nothing to do with football nogal!
In fact, everyone believes that it is a disgrace that Vaal is without a football club in top-flight football despite all the resources and talent we have. To make it worse, even teams and institutions with resources have failed, dismally, to have a team in the ABC Motsepe League.
MATTER OF FACT: Vaal has players all over PSL playing for big teams such as Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and Mamelodi Sundowns but back here we don’t have a team in a professional league. This is embarrassing because this region is well known for producing household names in South African football, be it in players, referees, and/or administrators.
It is almost more than 30 years since Vaal Professional was relegated from top-flight football but we struggle to produce even a fourth division club.
How so?
To make it worse, the teams from outside use our facilities for their Motsepe Foundation Championship fixtures. Do you know why? It is because here back home we don’t have teams that can make use of those facilities. All of us, I mean as Sedibeng community should be ashamed of ourselves for watching teams from outside our region use our facilities to their benefit.
Every week, Friday and Saturday, Vaal hosts Motsepe Foundation Championship games. The local soccer fans pack the Isak Steyl Stadium to capacity to watch teams from outside enjoying the freedom of our resources.
TOUCHLINE understands the concern of Lieutenant General Elias Mawela even though he has nothing to do with football. His concern is justifiable, to say the least, because Vaal Professionals, was a household name in South African football.
The Johannesburg teams knew what it was like to take a short trip to play against the ‘Vaal Monster’ at Kwa-Masiza or Zamdela Stadium. The truth is that there is no effort that has been made to revive professional football clubs in this area.
It is all about politics, backstabbing, lies, and stinking lies that dominate Vaal football. The question is, will this region have a representative in top-flight football in the near future or we should be content watching other teams from outside Vaal enjoy the freedom of our facilities?
