ShakingInk

By Malose Wa Ga Lamola Banyana Banyana celebrates Africa Women's Cup Of Nations victory after beating Morocco 2-1 in the final. Photo cred: Backpagepix Milpark Stadium remains a sacred space for South African women in football. Like an angel offering redemption to a sinner, in 1992, FIFA readmitted South Africa back into the international football fold. A year later Banyana Banyana was born. The real world finally intruded into South African women's football in the winter of 1993. A new era was opening. Banyana took on neighbours eSwatini, the then Swaziland. The main architects of South African women's football history. Former Banyana Banyana star midfielder, Anna Monate, took ShakingInk down memory lane as she reminisces on the historic day when she took to the field donning national team colours. Though, the stakes were real, and high. Playing football was an art they were learning to master. Monate laid bare the incidents of the 30th of May 1993. “For my...

By Malose Wa Ga Lamola Hollywoodbets Super League has set up a theatre for women's football in South Africa. An action galore series, more of a horror film than a comedy flick. Though, football is less fictional than most of Hollywood films, but it offers the same dramatic content if not more. Heroes and villains, the building blocks of classic tales. Directing a television production bears some similarities to football management. Trying to coax the best out of role players. Coaches are more concerned with numbers on the log standings, so are directors' obsession with viewership.  A one team dominated league is often referred to as a farmer's league. The dominance of Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the Hollywoodbets Super League puts the women's league in category one of farmers' leagues. Royal AM Ladies mentor, Thato Haraba, argues the notion that Hollywoodbets Super League is a farmers league and is of a view that assumptions lack as much in t...

By Malose Wa Ga Lamola   South African women’s football success is making the leap from the swampy backwater into the world's well established professional leagues. Banyana Banyana skipper, Janine Van Wyk, took her rare and precious commodity- time- to chat to ShakingInk. Though, patience and football don't sit well together, Van Wyk calls for patience and allow the right cornflakes to rise to the top of the packet. She says South Africa has what it takes to rise to the very pinnacle of this arena. The heroic figure worshipped by so many aspiring footballers warns against comparing Hollywoodbets Super League to leagues that have stood the test of time. Van Wyk insists that instant success is built on sand and ebbs away just as quickly. The football loving public wants a quick fix, but the veteran Banyana defender says, that's unsustainable. In Van Wyk's world, improvement is still innovation "We shouldn't compare any league in the world to what we c...

By Malose Wa Ga Lamola  South African Football Association (SAFA) in the North West province is pleased with the visit of Banyana Banyana mentor, Desiree Ellis, to conduct a workshop with Sasol league coaches in the platinum province this past weekend. Ellis has been in three provinces, Free State, Kwa Zulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, prior to her visit to the North West. SAFA NW Chairperson and National Executive Committee member, David Molwantwa, said Ellis visit to Potchefstroom encouraged the province to do even better. “It gives us a great pleasure as the SAFA NW to have to welcome the Senior Women’s National Team Head Coach to our province. This is a province of goodwill, surrounded by peace-loving people with talent in football. I see this visit as a great opportunity for us to improve the quality of football played in our province by both males and females,” Molwantwa. Of all four provinces North West is the only one with a full attendance by coaches, with a...