Hope for women’s soccer league
Former Banyana Banyana players hope to change the current status of the women's soccer league through coaching.
Having played soccer since childhood proved to be fruitful for former Banyana Banyana players, Fikile Sithole from Meadowlands and Sibongile Khumalo from Orlando as they had the opportunity to travel the world and play internationally.
The former players are now coaches of the Soweto Ladies Academy, an academy for girls to develop and nurture their soccer skills while being trained about life skills.
“Soccer has taken us to places we never thought possible”, said Khumalo who has achieved 32 caps in the national team, “We also played for international teams in Sweden and Denmark.”
“I fell in love with soccer from the age of seven. My mind is at ease when I’m playing,” added Sithole.
The development of female soccer players, the perception about female soccer players, social ills and efforts put into the Woman’s Football League are just some of the issues the pair aims to address through the academy that currently trains at the Nike Centre in Pimville.
“We want to breed players that are educated and disciplined leaders within the league. Through the academy, we hope we will decrease the rate of teen pregnancy and substance abuse,” said Sithole.
“The assumption that female players are lesbians is one that discourages parents from being supportive of their girls when they join soccer teams.
“The discrimination is a setback.” added Khumalo.
The former players are also ambassadors for a local organisation that uses sport for social cohesion and HIV/Aids education.
