In a special addition to the Gauteng roadshow, the South African Football Association (SAFA) and Sasol will unveil the new playing kit for the Sasol League 2015 and 2016 seasons at the event. The new kit has been specifically designed to accommodate the female form, making it extra comfortable for the women football players. It will be distributed to all teams participating in the Sasol League over the next two weeks, with each team receiving two sets - a home and an away kit.
The road shows are a key component of the Sasol League. They afford the senior national team technical staff an opportunity to asses players in different provinces for possible selection to the national women’s football team. They also serve as a platform for Sasol to interact with the teams and local communities.
“What we saw in both KZN and Free State gave us a good indication of the levels at which the local leagues are. The players that came to the clinics had the correct basic ball skills, with others showing advanced technical abilities in being able to read the game,” he said.
“As a coach and scout, I am pleased about this as it shows that the coaches are gleaning valuable knowledge from the coaches’ sessions during the roadshow. This is evidently having a positive impact on the quality of women’s football.”
He said in both the provinces he had been to, they identified a few players whose progress they will be tracking over the next few months.
“We are looking forward to seeing more talent when we continue with this great initiative at the Gauteng road show this coming weekend,” Cox added.
The road show will be led by Cox and fellow SAFA coach Anna Monate, and they will start the day at 09h00 by hosting The Coaches Worksop. This will focus on matters relating to women’s football coaching, training and warm ups. Thereafter, the new Sasol League kit will be unveiled, followed by the player open trials from 10h30 to 12h30. The two fixtures will commence at 13h00 and 15h00 respectively.
All teams competing in the Sasol League’s Gauteng division and the SAFA Regional League have been invited to send six of their best players to be assessed by the national team technical staff and scouts, who will be present at the event.
Monate is particularly pleased about the unveiling of the new kit.
“As a former football player, I recall playing in a men’s kit back in my day. I am thrilled that SAFA and Sasol have made a serious effort to ensure that the women footballers taking part in the Sasol League have the appropriate kit for their gender. These are milestones that show there is a massive improvement in taking women’s football seriously and bringing gender equality to the sport of football,” she said.
Sasol Group Sponsorship Manager, Richard Hughes echoed a similar sentiment when he explained the brand’s reason for being involved with women’s football.
“As a home-grown South African company, we are delighted with our investment in women’s football, which is contributing to breaking gender barriers in sport. The Sasol League roadshows are just one way of we are demonstrating our commitment to supporting government’s transformation and gender equity agendas,” said Hughes.
The first fixture of the day, featuring UJ versus Zebra Force will kick off at 13h00, followed by the fixture between Palace Super Falcons and University of Pretoria Football Club at 15h00.