Phomolong Soccer Ladies are tops in Ekurhuleni
The team continues to encounter financial challenges, struggling to raise money for transport needs and other logistics necessities.
With the introduction of women premier soccer league next year, South Africa will need girls with true sportsmanship demeanour in the game of football.
Different provinces will have to work hard to hone skills among women football players who are determined to make it to the top in football.
Tembisa is lucky. It has a visionary who founded a women’s soccer club, and has since 1995 been working hard to sharpen the women’s soccer skills.
Marks Mashile says he has helped to establish Phomolong Soccer Ladies. He says he did this after carefully observing the burning passion women have for football.
He says the observation came at the time when he played in the reserve side of Jomo Cosmos FC. He instinctively knew that women are capable of making it to the top as football players.
He then decided to train Phomolong girls to play a game of football.
At the beginning, Marks’ desire to train girls to play football did not seem to make sense to both parents and members of the community.
His efforts bore results. His female players soon got opportunities to play for sides such as Sundowns where they excelled, and began to be noticed by the big wigs in the game.
“In the beginning it was difficult because I did not have the support of the parents.
“After a while when I saw the club developing, I approached parents and local business for financial assistance so that I could get the girls the right soccer kit. Parents were happy to assist because they saw the positive role the initiative was making in their children’s lives,” said Marks.
He says the involvement of girls in football prevents them from early pregnancy, and give them focus in their studies.
Marks says he is now happy there are plans to establish a women’s premier soccer league. He says he will work hard to ensure his players derived benefits from playing football.
He recalls that in 1996 the girls had their association, the Safa Ekurhuleni Women’s League, also known as Sanlam Halala Cup.
“We played in that league until Sanlam pulled out. It was later known as Absa Women’s League. We are still playing there. My wish is to see these girls play overseas and in national leagues.
“Women’s PSL is my current goal for next year,” says Marks.
He says his Phomolong Soccer Ladies team is presently rated number one in Ekurhuleni Women’s League.
He adds that the team continues to encounter financial challenges, struggling to raise money for transport needs and other logistics necessities.
