The SA Football Association (Safa) made a huge appointment when it announced the arrival of head of women’s football Romaney Pinnock.
With Banyana Banyana back in the country after they were knocked out of the Fifa 2023 Women’s World Cup a week ago, Pinnock’s mammoth task of turning women’s soccer in the country around begins when the global showpiece finishes.
Pinnock is currently assisting Safa bosses and the 2027 bid committee that is canvassing to host the Fifa 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
Her duties in the new role include heading up the delivery of Safa women’s football strategy.
Women’s football is probably Safa’s most successful unit, meaning all eyes will be on Pinnock. While she knows the challenges ahead, she is not fazed by the appointment.
“We have a long way to go in raising women’s football to the level it deserves to be in this country. This task will be hard, but I am excited by the challenge,” she told Safa.net.
“With the support of the association, broader stakeholders, sponsors and brilliant people already doing great work, we will create a lasting effect for the women’s game.
“Having a hand in ensuring more girls and women can play football in safe and supportive environments is such a privilege and I look forward to what lies ahead.”
According to the Centrecircle website, Pinnock has worked as a management consultant for over 10 years.
She arrives at Safa armed with a Fifa Masters in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport; an MSc with a focus on ecotoxicology from the University of Siena in Italy, as well as a medical honours and BSc in Genetics from the University of Cape Town.
Eotoxicologists are responsible for predicting the effects of pollutants on food resources for wildlife populations, ecosystems, and humans.
They also aim to understand, predict and prevent undesirable events in the natural environment.
About the challenges that lie ahead, she said: “Women’s football across the world is experiencing a surge of interest and investment.
“The sport is almost entirely male-dominated in South Africa, from the administrators to the coaches, through to the investment. Banyana have succeeded despite this ecosystem.
“We need to convince investors that the women’s game is a good investment, fans to watch the sport, broadcasters to air it, and communities to support girls joining their local clubs.
“Early investors like Sasol have really helped push the women’s game forward, and more recent sponsors are getting involved, as they see the potential within this space.
“The challenges will be to grow the number of investors, to create impactful outcomes, to ensure more people have access to watching games and joining clubs, and to put in place a long-term strategy that guides us towards sporting success, on and off the field.”
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