Two more teams join Women’s Super League

Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO women’s football giants and NetOne Charity Shield champions Inline Academy and Capital Aces Youth Academy have registered for the 2014 Super League race. The championship kicked off two weeks ago with only 12 registered teams. Now the figure has swelled to 14 teams.Some clubs were sceptical about paying affiliation fees after going the whole of 2013 without any action and are yet to be paid their prizemoney for 2012.

Zimbabwe Women’s Football League boss Miriam Sibanda confirmed that two teams had paid their affiliation fees something which had since been confirmed by the association’s finance department.

“Inline Academy and Aces Youth Academy have indeed deposited their affiliation fees and have registered with the association,” she said.
Sibanda said other teams were welcome and the association was willing to incorporate more teams into the league.

“Our goal is to promote women’s football and we are willing to incorporate more teams into the league which are willing to come through and register before the next round of league matches,” she said.

Inline Academy have a junior development programme that looks well oiled and is promising to churn out more stars going into the future and since the birth of organised competition among women in the game in 1988 following Ndumiso Gumede’s exposure to the sport in Germany, Bulawayo clubs have dominated the scene for the better part of the last 26 years with Highlanders Royals, New Orleans and Inline Academy winning the lion’s share of honours.

New Orleans chairperson Khanyiso Bhebhe said they would also be part of the league. He said they had since deposited the affiliation fees into the league’s account.

Sibanda appealed to the corporate community to support the girl child by sponsoring the league so that there are incentives for the participants.