Mlauzi prods Zifa for robust women’s league

FORMER Mighty Warriors’ coach Shadreck Mlauzi has urged Zifa to come with a vibrant national women’s football league which can compete with other leagues across the continent in the African women champions’ league which has been proposed by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).

Caf was forced to cancel this year’ African Women Cup of Nations (Awcon) qualifiers and the tournament finals due to coronavirus, and has replaced it with the champions’ league, where clubs from countries will play each other.

The games have been set to start next year. However, Mlauzi who guided the Mighty Warriors to the 2016 Rio Olympics, the highest achievement for local women football this far, is worried that local clubs could be poorly equipped to participate against the

crème de la crème of the continent.

He had also taken charge of the team at the Awcon in the same year. In both occasions, the team crashed out in the first round of the competitions.

Speaking to NewsDay Sport, the affable Mlauzi said: “There is no national league to talk about at the moment. Zifa needs to make sure that the league is funded and is functional.”

He noted that local women use poor infrastructure for their matches.

“Pitches which they use are a major concern. The game has suffered massively after the Olympics and Awcon. Many clubs have folded. Perhaps, the teams that can try to compete are the uniformed forces, which have profited immensely from taking players from other clubs for free,” Mlauzi said.

Mlauzi said he welcomed the idea of the inaugural women’s champions league, which he believes will improve the game on the continent and at the world stage.

“The prospect of it is exciting. I know the idea has been in the pipeline for quite some time now. It’s about time. I think the geographical diversity of Africa has caused some logistical challenges with women football being less attractive in terms of fan base in most African countries. Africa has been lagging behind in major competitions in women football due to lack of quality competition which will equip our players with good competition, which in turn will help us fare marginally better at the world stage,” he said.

The local women football received a shot in the arm recently when Zifa pledged to pour $32,5 million from its Fifa relief fund.

Women football has largely suffered neglect worldwide and is played at an armature level in the country.

Last year, the local women’s premier football league ended prematurely because some clubs pulled out due to financial constraints.

Most of the clubs, especially those that are individually owned, had difficulties to travel to fulfil away matches because of lack of funds.

Army side Black Rhinos, which dominated local women’s football was on top of the log when it was abandoned.

“I think prior to the commencement of these games, a symposium or indaba must be called to address the issues of serious neglect of women’s football. Coach education is another area that needs to be worked on. Most of the coaches do not have the right qualifications,” Mlauzi, a Caf women’s football instructor, sports scientist and physical education teacher, said.