Kanatla set sights on national title
IN A male-dominated sport such as soccer, a group of female soccer players in Polokwane are proving that they do not have to settle for second best.
Vella Nyoni
POLOKWANE – IN A male-dominated sport such as soccer, a group of female soccer players in Polokwane are proving that they do not have to settle for second best.
Established in 2009, Kanatla women’s soccer team is trying to level the playing field. They compete in the Sasol League, which is a derivative of the Safa provincial league.
The Sasol League is comprised of 16 teams, which are divided into two streams. Kanatla compete in the A-stream, which includes the Sekhukhune, Capricorn and Waterberg districts, and are ranked number one in the league.
Asked how they manage to perform so well, the head coach Mkuseli Godlwana, says the team has skilled players who are disciplined.
“Our main goal is to win the national championship, if we win the overall provincial championship, we get to represent Limpopo at national level,” says Godlwana.
The coach says even though they are a soccer team, their main focus will always be education.
“We try not to focus on football alone, but on the individual development of players, our primary focus is always education.”
He says some of the players were recruited through the University of Johannesburg and North West University.
Janet Fisher is a striker and right wing in the team. She says she loves playing for Kanatla and will not change teams any time soon. “It is so much fun being in this team, I do not want to change teams. I don’t think we have real competition; we are the best of the best. That is why we keep winning,” says Fisher. Fisher agrees that women’s soccer is not where it should be, but is hopeful for the future. The team has adopted a policy that prevents players in gr. 12 from playing any time after June; this is an effort to get them to concentrate on their schooling.
