Safa to push women’s league
Safa president Danny Jordaan said the decision to have either 12 or 16 teams participating in next year’s planned women’s national soccer league will be finalised by mid-October.
Last year the Safa national executive committee (NEC) had endorsed a motion for the formation of a national women’s league in 2019.
Jordaan said the league would comprise the Sasol women’s regional league winners.
Mamelodi Sundowns and Bloemfontein Celtic would also be included in the league on the basis that they carry brand names that will help the league bring the club participation tally to 11 teams.
“The 12th team will come from the university women’s league championship,” said Jordaan.
“The NEC has two options: to finalise a league with 12 teams or, alternatively, to add another four teams to make it a 16-team league.
“In that case the four spaces will be offered to those teams playing in the premier league that have women’s teams. So, if Chippa United or any other team in the premier league would put up a women’s team, they will be added to make 16 teams.
“Those are the two proposals that will go to the NEC, and they will take the final decision on the matter.”
Jordaan, 67, said the final decision will be taken by the middle of October.
Asked whether they had any sponsors lined up for the league the president said: “All of those things are being worked on. We have asked Ria Ledwaba (Safa vice-president) to go on a tour of the country, which she has done, to consult each and every women’s structure and our own regional structures to build grassroots support.”
The former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor said the women’s national league will play a vital role in the development of women’s football in the country.
“We saw tremendous growth in the number of women play- ing football from 2012 to today. We went from 200,000 women footballers to over 550,000 players and, by 2022, we want one million women footballers.
“We want women’s football to be the biggest women’s sport in this country. I think we are on our way there that both men and women on its own will be the biggest sport in the country.
“So, growth is one thing. The second thing is, we hope that the league will really strengthen the commercial support for women’s football.
“Not just women’s football but women’s sport in general. Businesses in South Africa will tend to support anything male and are not supporting women’s sport.”
Jordaan said the sponsorship issue was something that affects women’s sport in general.
He applauded Sasol for their continuous support of women’s football and said the company has been a huge contributor to Banyana’s success.
“We saw just the that Momentum other day withdrew their sponsorship from cricket. So, it’s still a problem, but we hope through this women’s league and the support that will be there for women’s football we will be the first sport that will get meaningful support.
“I think Sasol has been tremendous. The Sasol League is the only structured league in this country for women’s football.
“Sasol has laid the foundation of Banyana’s success. We now have 10 players playing in the United States and not forgetting that these women are at universities in the States.
“Some of them are doing their masters degrees. The Banyana team is one of the highest qualified academically in this country.
“Most of the players have degrees and masters degrees. We have quality on and off the field, and we want these women to also service women’s football.
“When we start the women’s league we are looking at former Banyana players to go and run that league, because they have the qualification.”
We have quality on and off the field, and we want these women to also service women’s football