ANLFA shows growth despite challenges in club sustainability and limited facilities
The Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association has achieved major administrative successes, record club participation, and thriving junior, senior, and ladies’ structures.
Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (ANLFA) has recorded notable administrative improvements and rising participation levels, despite challenges linked to club finances, facilities, and technical capacity.
During the association’s recent Annual General Meeting at the Alex Safe Hub, both ANLFA’s chairperson, Pheega Seanego and secretary general Malvin Khumalo presented a balanced assessment, combining cautious optimism with warnings about the association’s operational realities.
Read more: ANLFA shows growth despite challenges in club sustainability and limited facilities
Seanego, who was re-elected to serve another term as chairperson, highlighted key administrative progress, particularly the full implementation of the MYSAFA system, which has significantly improved player registration, club administration, transparency, and compliance.
“We have also seen growth in the number of affiliated clubs and increased participation across our junior, senior, and ladies’ structures,” Seanego said. “This demonstrates that football in Alexandra is alive and continues to grow.”
Despite these gains, club sustainability remains a major concern. Seanego noted that some clubs that progressed to regional competitions struggled financially and often collapsed after promotion. “This calls on us to rethink how we prepare and support our clubs for higher levels of competition.”
Khumalo pointed out persistent operational challenges, including walkovers, some clubs’ failure to fulfil fixtures, and administrative shortcomings at the club level. But on a positive note, he praised the successful hosting of tournaments such as the Maimane Alfred Phiri Tournament and the Respect and Ubuntu Heritage Tournament, which continue to play an important role in player development and community engagement.
Both Seanego and Khumalo acknowledged that facilities remained the biggest immediate constraint. Khuamalo said the prolonged closure of Alexandra Stadium due to safety and compliance issues had severely disrupted operations. With limited alternative venues available, the association has faced fixture backlogs and delays in concluding leagues. Khumalo said there was a need for the development of a formal facility use and access policy, coupled with stronger engagement with the City of Johannesburg, to secure long-term access and safe use of municipal grounds.
Also read: ANLFA men’s clubs might be forced to field women’s teams
On the technical development side, the association has made some progress through the Safa D Licence coaching course and its major tournaments. However, Khumalo highlighted gaps, including the lack of regular coaching workshops and an incomplete regional referees’ structure, which continue to affect coaching standards, refereeing quality, and overall match standards.
Looking ahead, ANLFA’s immediate priorities include implementing a club readiness framework for promoted teams, creating sustainable funding and sponsorship pathways, rehabilitating key facilities in partnership with the municipality, and rolling out consistent coaching and referee development programmes.
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