MaMkhize's plan to grow women's football in SA

By Velile Mnyandu
5th April 2023

Royal AM President Shawn “MamKhize” Mkhize has opened up to SABC Sport about her grand plan for her women’s team.

Speaking to the national broadcaster after her Royal AM Ladies’ famous and first-ever win over the Hollywoodbets Super League champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies on Sunday, Mkhize says there’s a serious need to push for the development of women’s football in the country. Royal AM are only one of three top-flight teams in the country with women’s football teams together with Sundowns and TS Galaxy.

"I've always said I want to bring change, especially in football. Banyana Banyana has done so well but there's no noise about them. They brought a cup home; Bafana hasn't brought us anything. I want to bring attention to the girls and I'm going to work very hard to make sure that people start noticing them because they are there," she said.

Royal AM Ladies bought the status of Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies just few months after MamKhize had bought the status of the parental Isiwelele Premier Soccer League (PSL) club last season. Reflecting on the win against Sundowns, she says it means a lot to the growth of the team.

"I'm sure our girls were motivated today. After the men's team lost 5-1 to Sundowns, I said this can't happen again. We'll come here and fight like soldiers and die on the field like them. I think they've done that; I saw them fighting. It means a lot to me, Sundowns is a good team, to beat them is mileage for my girls," she added

MaMkhize has also spoken about her plans to have an all-ladies management at the club to steer this project forward with former Banyana Banyana captain and current national women’s 17 technical team member Delisiwe Mbatha having taken over this season.

"If you look at my team, I'm trying to make it a proper ladies' team. Starting from the coach, physio , and everybody. You know, we got a team manager, Siphokazi, who has just started working with us. We've got a deputy chairman, Tamia (Mpisane) she's a woman. Our coach, comes in highly qualified because we want to compete. We are not here to add numbers, we are here because we want to compete," she concluded.