Banyana coach urges PSL giants to launch women’s teams
Sports Reporter
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has challenged PSL giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to launch women’s teams.
The two soccer giants are currently the only PSL top clubs without a women’s team. Both are based in Soweto where the Safa Women’s National League (SWNL) was launched last year.
Ellis says the Soweto giants can help grow the women’s game if they include women’s teams.
“It is vital for Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to form women’s teams. If they come on board sponsors will also come on board. The only big team in England that didn’t have a women’s team was Manchester United, but now has a team. It was the same with Real Madrid. The Spanish leagues have grown and sponsorship has improved. I don’t want to use the word, but PSL clubs should be forced to have women’s teams, and not just have the team for the sake of having it, but give them support and necessary development similar to what they do with their male counterparts.”
Ellis added that such a move would also see a huge shift in the mind-set of people, and sponsors would come on board.
“Chiefs marketing director Jessica Motaung has been asked many times about forming a women’s team. I don’t know what the stumbling block is. I ask them once again to take women’s football to another level. Maybe they are still looking at the cost. If you see what they spend on the men’s team, the cost will be like a drop in the ocean. They already have many women supporters; so investing in women’s football will increase their fan base. If they come on board, it will change the landscape of women’s football in the country,” Ellis said.