JUNIOR GIRLS FOOTBALL LEAGUE

BY GASANT ABARDER

AS THIS EDITION of Blue and Gold illustrates, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has become an incubator for women’s football in South Africa. UWC provides the best of both worlds – a world-class education with a world-class platform to compete in elite sports. Close to half of the Banyana Banyana squad that won the recent Women’s African Cup of Nations were either current or former UWC students. The assistant Banyana coach is also our senior women’s team coach. As the pages of Blue and Gold also reflect, our senior women’s team participates in the national league and was crowned Varsity Cup champions last year.

THIS ACHIEVEMENT is by no means an accident. Our Director of UWC Sport, Mandla Gagayi, has deliberately invested heavily in the women’s code at the university and that is bearing fruit. Now, we want to take that investment further with the exciting new She-Bobo junior girls’ league at UWC. SHE-BOBO at UWC seeks to address the lack of formal competition for under-8 and under-10 girls in the Cape Metro region. UWC alumnus and South African Football Association President, Danny Jordaan, launched the league at a gala dinner in September.

A FOOTBALL FESTIVAL to be hosted on 22 October 2022 will act as the precursor to the 2023 launch of the She-Bobo league at the university, with a minimum of 10 clubs participating.

In addition to the mini-festival, the university has partnered with the British Council, which will roll out the English Premier League’s Premier Skills programme in the form of a four-day coaching workshop for participating coaches and community coaches ahead of the games.

The university will assist community clubs that are participating and are already resource-constrained. The girls and their coaches will be transported to the university, provided with meals and refreshments and fully kitted out.

Professor Anesh Singh, UWC’s Director of Institutional Advancement, says the launch of She-Bobo at UWC signals the university’s intent to walk the journey with the girl child from the cradle to graduation.

“Initially, the league will commence with under-8 and under-10 age groups. As the fi rst cohort of girl footballers grows up the league will extend to include more age groups.

OVER TIME, the girls will become more and more exposed to a university environment and ultimately attend UWC as students,” says Prof Singh.

“Part of our vision as a university is to be a driver of social change in the communities that surround our campus. We want to be a part of the lives of the participants of She-Bobo at UWC from the cradle to graduation.”

“OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE is not to produce the next Banyana Banyana players. If that happens, it is, of course, wonderful. Our objectives are to create both academic and sporting opportunities for girl children and to expose them to university life from a young age.” B+G