Kaizer Chiefs marketing director Jessica Motaung has weighed in on the hot topic of the state of women’s football in South Africa, and whether they are in a position to form a women’s team in a country that does not have a professional women’s league.
Motaung was speaking to Sunday World during the graduation ceremony of their inaugural Twinning Project on Thursday, where they were giving a helping hand in the rehabilitation of female inmates at Sun City Prison.
Amakhosi are one of the many clubs in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) that do not have a women’s team.
However, despite confirming that the club is working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that the women’s team is up and running, Motaung said there are a lot of elements that need to be looked at before they fast-track the project.
“We also need to look at our structures. We need to look at things like whether we have an environment that’s conducive to having a women’s league. Right now, you have a league that hasn’t even started,” Motaung said.
“How is Desiree [Ellis] choosing her players during a space where players who should have played maybe three or four games have not had a chance to play? So, I think we need to look at the ecosystem. It’s not just about starting a team. We need sustainability.
“We need a strong league, that is structured for women in the way that they can get a good platform to showcase their talents.
“So, for me, I think we need to look at it holistically and not just expect teams to start in a vacuum.
“I mean, I love the work that’s been done in starting the HollywoodBets [Super League], but we need to ask ourselves, is this taking us where we need to go? And if it’s not, what needs to be done to have a league that is sustainable, but also feeds into the national team?
“But certainly, I’m encouraged by the work I’ve done on the continent and the work that I’ve seen being done, that women’s football and women’s sports are flying.”
Motaung has since urged people to give the club time as building a women’s team is one of their many important projects on the cards.
“People just need to give us the time to be able to finish and do the work.
“Our focus has been making sure that the first team is secure, our development academy is in place and then making sure that we have the right resources to put a female team in place,” she said.
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