PLATINUM Stars have never been afraid to give promising coaches a chance to prove themselves.

From Cavin Johnson to Rhulani Mokoena and Allan Freese, Dikwena have led from the front in backing local coaches.

But they’ve taken their support up a notch, and impressively so, by giving female coach Keleabetswe Diale an opportunity to take over their Multichoice Diski Challenge team after Alan Clark moved to work as Johnson s second assistant in the first team.

Born and bred in the North West, Diale has been fighting to prove women do not only belong in the kitchen.

And so far, the 34-year-old is doing a fantastic job, having coached all the age groups at Stars before graduating to the Diski Challenge team.

The only way from here is up, and there’s a possibility that she could go on to become the first woman coach in the PSL.

To be honest, it caught me by surprise when I was named the coach. But I was happy and grateful for the opportunity, Diale said.

I am not doing it for myself, but for other female coaches, to show we are also capable.

Being a female coach is difficult because one’s in a male-dominated field, and culturally, people believe women are not meant to be on the field, rather at home. But God is good and he can put you ahead of them [male coaches].”

Diale, a sports management graduate, played football at Pretoria Technikon (now Tshwane University of Technology) and at a couple of amateur clubs, but never thought of making it a career, let alone becoming a coach.

When I stopped playing, I asked myself what I would do going forward. Being a coach never even crossed my mind,” Diale said.

I thought of being a sports developer because I have a BTech in sport management.

But then I joined the [Stars] academy in 2011 and I was given 22 boys to coach. Cavin took me as I am and said, I believe in you’. That’s when the passion started because I gelled well with the boys.

I coached the under-13s, then 15s, 17s, in the SAB League and ABC Motsepe League.

Now, I’m working with the Multichoice team.”

Diale, who holds a CAF A coaching licence, would add value to Banyana Banyana in the future. But she has her eyes set on working in the PSL.

Stars lost 1-0 to Chippa United in their opening Diski Challenge game last week, but still have time to try and win the competition.