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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
FOOTBALL has long been a sport fancied and followed by men.
For a long time, only men kicked the ball and no woman dared to step up onto the football field.
The system would not allow it.
Even in the era of emancipation, in the 1960s, when women won the right to vote, none of them were permitted to take part in the game, let alone watch a match.
Football was a male territory.
It mattered little to society that the female folk also wanted a piece of the excitement from the world’s most beautiful game.
A few can claim to have watched the great Pele play.
Locally, only a handful of women saw the Flying Elephant Peter Ndlovu at Barbourfields Stadium. In Zimbabwe, women started going to stadiums in numbers in the 1990s.
However, all was not well. The game was not inviting.
It was a nightmare for the fairer sex. The afternoon of the match day would expose women to a theatre of hate speech, slander, and violence.
Men would belt out songs brimming with insults in high-pitched voices, much to the chagrin of women and girls trying to watch the game. The songs and demeaning chants tell a story of masculine domination.
Closer to home, the famous Soweto Stand at Barbourfields is still a no go zone for feeble women, while the Vietnam stand at Rufaro Stadium is equally intimidating.
Only the brave and toughest of women can watch a match seated at Soweto or Vietnam.
Football stadia are proving to be more of a hostile environment for women who are often physically and verbally abused.
This has seen fewer women attending soccer matches. They prefer cricket or netball, sports well known for the ‘gentlemanly’ behaviour of fans. But, some have braved the hostility. They watch every game their favourite teams play. If not at the terraces, one finds them cozy on a couch watching the popular English Premier League. These women are not shy to put on a football jersey for the whole week. Their Instagram and Twitter handles are a hoard of pictorial scenes of football and every aspect of it. From selfies to food and partying, women football fans are slowly joining the fray.
Elsewhere they are called “soccer babes” and that trend has crept into the local game.
In separate interviews, Saturday Chronicle Sport gathered interesting views from women who have committed to football.
They talk of stereotypes that are perpetuated by an “uninformed” society.
“Stereotyping is a major challenge for me as a female football follower. Female football fans are deemed to be of loose morals. Even genuinely associating with the ‘boys’ some will not hesitate to show you that they view you as a woman of easy virtue. It’s pathetic! One has to fight hard to demystify all this,” says football fanatic Nqobile Ncube, popularly known as Mathobela.
She says even the infrastructure at stadiums is not friendly for women.
“Generally most of our stadium infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired in terms of safety and environment as a whole. For example, the restrooms should always be clean and accessible. Unfortunately, that is not the case. That scenario makes watching football a nightmare for women especially if one is going through her cycle. If the bathrooms are there it’s either they don’t have clean water available or worse still they’re locked. A good example is the National Sports Stadium,” says Ncube.
Another female fan, Zwelihle Nyathi, concurs.
“I don’t think our stadiums have a safe environment for women due to seating positions. There should be bucket seats so that each fan sits on her own. The issue of buying tickets at the gate on match day also makes it difficult for women. There will be pushing and shoving and some men will be fondling women during the confusion. Security must be enhanced especially during the issuing of tickets at the entrance gates so that women don’t fall victim to groping by perverts,” says Nyathi.
She says when one becomes a football fan they are subject to humiliation.
“The biggest challenge I have faced being a female football fan is that people think a female is not entitled to any sporting activity especially in Zimbabwe, whether it be participating or being a spectator. They believe men are the ones who are entitled to the sport. Being a woman I have experienced humiliation, labeling, and derogatory insults.
“People label you as uneducated just because you are a woman who loves football. Also when attending big games I have experienced challenges with getting into the stadium on time as I often have to push through a group of strong men to buy a ticket. I have faced hooliganism before, during, and after the game which makes it difficult for me as a female football fan,” says Nyathi.
Her solution to the problem is road shows.
“I think we should have road shows every Saturday before home games. Whenever the team(s) is playing on Sunday we go around cities wearing the team’s regalia (replica) especially female fans. We go out in numbers distributing flyers that state the importance of harmony in sports.
“We should sing and chant the slogans of the teams we support. This can be done in all parts of Zimbabwe where PSL teams must participate with their supporters. The other option is to organise female tournaments for clubs where we come together as fans and non-fans, encourage each other and share ideas about football. I believe this will help increase the number of females that attend matches.
Pauline Ncube believes football should not be gender centralised
“Football is not a male sport, it is entertainment to be enjoyed by everyone.
“In my opinion, BF or the National Sports Stadium are relatively safe for women. The issue is at Mandava Stadium which is prone to mob violence and police brutality. I don’t feel safe at Mandava Stadium mostly because of the security details who are usually violent toward Highlanders fans.
“I think the challenge comes with the quality of the stadium as most have concrete-made seats which are hard on the buttocks. The steps are too wide apart and a pain to the muscles. It’s a matter of awareness and educating fans about soccer from the grassroots level,” said Ncube.
Gertrude Sibanda says: “The safety of women at the stadiums can be improved by protecting them from hooligans and drunkards who at times don’t have respect for them.
“There are so many challenges like being labeled women of loose morals, falling prey to drunkards, emotional harassment from male counterparts, and insults generally. Involvement of more women in the football body structures could be a solution,” says Sibanda.
Samu Dube is one of those who vow never to set foot in a football stadium after witnessing violence once.
“I love football but it’s the violence that scares me off. I attended a Bosso, DeMbare game once and vowed not to go back after violence erupted. I don’t mind the vulgarity but the violence makes it a no for me to attend matches l will just stick to supporting from home,” says Dube. — @innocentskizoe
Sidumisile Mabena
Online Reporter