How South Africa Grew their Women Football - The Vision, System and Structure

 

Countries that are taking women's football seriously are the ones that will benefit the most in the near future,"  -  Lydia Monyepao, COO SAFA

For those who has been following the growth of Women football across the continent, Banyana Banyana emerging as Champions of Africa in the just concluded WAFCON won't be a surprise or accidental.

It was a result of having a clear vision and putting in place the right system and structure for growth. South Africa ladies had been in WAFCON finals five times, Knocking the door. But coming to WAFCON 2022 there was no stopping them, not even the flair of Altars lionesses who were determined to host and win in Rabat Morocco, could stop Banyana Banyana.

One of the major challenge of Banyana Banyana over the years was how to crack down the formidable team of the Nigerian Falcons who had dominated African women football for so long. 

Challenging Nigeria dominance in Africa

For a long time, the country played second fiddle to continental giants Nigeria. Now South African women's football is reaping the rewards of its Vision 2022 strategy to grow the women's game.

On November 19, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies made a giant leap as they won the inaugural CAF Women's Champions League title. The South African club defeated Ghana's Hasaacas Ladies 2-0 at Cairo's June 30 Stadium with goals from Chuene Morifi and Andisiwe Mgcoyi.

It is the most significant success that the team has achieved since it was founded in 2009 as a semi-professional club, a women's arm of the famous Mamelodi Sundowns, to give women and girls opportunities to play football. 

"The success that our coach Jerry [Tshabalala] and our team have had is definitely going to inspire young girls to come and join our club. So, we're making sure that the infrastructure is there to take care of them and nurture that talent," Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe told media when the victorious women returned to Johannesburg.

International progress

The Mamelodi Ladies' success was foreshadowed by the Banyana Banyana, South Africa's national women's football team, at the Aisha Buhari Cup in September. The Banyana defeated their long-time rivals Nigeria to lift the title.

The manner of the victory, a 4-2 wipeout, left the Super Falcons, 11-time African women's champions, dazed. It was a reward for South Africa, who lost their last meeting in the final of 2018's African Women's Cup of Nations on penalties after a goalless draw in regular time.

In Lagos, South Africa announced their arrival as a force on the continent and signposted their growth and readiness to take over and to dethrone Nigeria

Banyana arising as a formidable force

Banyana qualified for their first FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019 after two previous appearances at the Olympic Games. Alongside the African Cup, the regional COSAFA Cup ensures the team is regularly exposed to international football. 

"Between 2016 and now, women's football has had access to more international matches than during my entire time as a player because of the increase in resources that the association is putting in," Lydia Monyepao, Chief Operating Officer of the South Africa Football Association (Safa), told our correspondence.

One of a growing number of retired footballers now working at Safa, Monyepao's work is to grow football in a country where more women are likely to play netball.

 System and Structure

Vision 2022 - A winning women's football strategy

The Safa Vision 2022 has gender equality as one of its pillars, which has ensured that all women's national teams have female head coaches in charge.

"When a woman coaches another woman, they understand each other better. They understand what affects the players and sympathize with them," said Monyepao.

They are also training many women to become referees and ensuring that former players receive the required coaching education to attain international certifications. The Hollywoodbets Super League is also ensuring women footballers are treated as professionals, paid better and on time, keeping women footballers active for longer and focused on the game.

In 2020, Safa announced that over 400,000 women and girls were registered as active footballers on its MySAFA web platform. The association can monitor the progress of these players and make resources available to communities that need them. It is an important index on a continent where data is hard to find. 

South Africa is also a pioneer on the continent with an active women's university football league. An eight-team tournament is played annually among the country's leading universities, and it has provided talented players for the national team.

Banyana star Thembi Kgatlana emerged from Varsity Sports

Thembi Kgatlana, who emerged from the University of the Western Cape and now plays at SD Eibar in Spain's Primera Division Femenina, made history as South Africa's first Women's World Cup goal scorer in France in 2019.

Challenges to overcome

Yet, South African women still face sexism, prejudice, and violence, and low funding can affect access to the sport for girls. 

"Despite the recent successes of Banyana Banyana, it is difficult to challenge and change the ecosystem around a sport that resides in a traditionally masculine domain," says Jos Dirkx, founder of the non-governmental organization, Girls & Football SA, that has worked with the national team since 2010. 

"This challenge isn't just across the African continent; we notice it in Europe and North America, as well."

The next generation of South African women footballers must be found early

However, Monyepao's hope is to use this positive wind to catch a new generation of young women for her sport. 

"We want to focus on getting girls playing football in schools regularly by building the structures for the younger players. We need to attract them to come and play football early before they can go and play netball because you can get them to learn the kind of techniques you want them to learn at a young age," she said. 

Now South Africa has succeed in its plans to qualify and to win their first title as the African Women's champion in Morocco and also qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Their next immediate plan is to announce their presence to world in Australia and New Zealand. 

But more important is laying the right foundations to build a world class team and a force to reckon with in women's football across the world.

"Countries that are taking women's football seriously are the ones that will benefit the most in the near future," Monyepao concluded. 

Football and Education

The delegation then met with staff from the FIFA Regional Development office, before SAFA’s Chief Operating Officer and former FIFA Women’s Leadership Programme alumni Lydia Monyepao, as well as Banyana Banyana Head Coach Desiree Ellis, presented the group with an overview of the current status of women’s football in South Africa.

The SAFA representatives briefed the delegation on how they have successfully linked women’s football to education, with 85 per cent of the national team holding at least one university degree. They also underlined how encouraging their female youth and senior teams to enrol and stay in education has made them more resilient, team-spirited and better able to cope with the pressures of playing for the national team in particular.

Speaking about SAFA’s approach to women’s football FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said: “It is heartening to hear the commitment and hard work you have put into nurturing and developing women’s football and your girls. Education and football play a tandem role in advancing women’s confidence and empowerment.

“There are tremendous strides that we can make together through football to tackle the gender-based violence your country experiences, as well as promoting greater self-esteem among girls and women. FIFA will work hand in hand with you to make this a reality.”