Pro clubs interest in women's football excites CAF

Next Friday is the deadline for the registration of clubs that will take part in the CAF inter-club competitions next season.

The attention has been on the regulation that requires teams to have a women’s team or a written agreement with an existing women’s team entity. Goshime has lauded the professional football clubs for not just doing the bare minimum in coming to this space.

"Like I said, we need support, CAF cannot do it alone. So, no clubs are coming in and making sure that women's teams are taken care of, that they are investing in women's football," she said.

"We want development. We are hoping that going forward the clubs can be involved in developing women's football, in girls' football development like they're involved in men's football development. The relationship, the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] and the agreement can go in more than just owning a women's team."

The four SA reps in the CAF inter-club competitions next season are Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, Sekhukhune United and SuperSport United. Only Sundowns already have a women’s team and their neighbours Amatsatsansa are concluding a partnership with Hollywoodbets Super League side Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). Sekhukhune are also reported to have sealed a partnership with Vaal University of Technology as Pirates work behind the scenes to also secure a deal, having been linked with the University of Johannesburg and Wits University women’s teams.

Goshime has repeated previous statements from CAF that this regulation is not there to force or punish clubs to have women’s teams but instead encourage them to come into the space and help to grow the game.

This is the second year that CAF is now enforcing this club licensing rule around women’s football and Goshime speaking to SABC Sport after the FIFPRO Africa Congress in Botswana, says these regulations show how serious CAF is about women’s football.

"I'm sure most clubs will delightedly do it and they have been doing it. Like Sundowns, like Green Buffaloes, they have been doing it. They've already established a women's team with the encouragement of CAF. So, this is not a punishment and we should not associate the word punishment with this regulation. It's encouragement, it's saying that CAF is investing in women's football and as a club that participates in African football, help us develop women's football."