New ladies’ football team looking to make waves

by PDBY Staff | Feb 23, 2015 | Sports

ZUKO QUSHEKA

From having made the final of the 2014 Varsity Football tournament, to clinching the Gauteng provincial championships trophy, the reach of ladies’ football at Tuks has increased. This reach seems to have found the young ladies who play for AcedSports Ladies’ football club and inspired them to take steps to open their own club at UP. Their reason, as they put it, “was to provide a platform for young ladies to train and possibly do well in the sport and hopefully reach or emulate the success of the UP-Tuks ladies’ soccer team.” Perdeby spoke to Kgomotso Teu, one of the members of AcedSports Ladies this season, about their club’s genesis.

Can you tell us a bit about the team and how it was started?
It was started by the passion and drive we have for football. The team is also a division of AcedSports@Tuks, which is a health and fitness society at the University of Pretoria.

 

Why did you want to start the club and what type of goals do you want to achieve with this team?
Our main objective is empowering women through sport and breaking the cultural barrier. We [realised that there was a] lack of teams that could accommodate [those] who love soccer in Tuks and so we decided to start a team that could accommodate not only res students, but also day students. Basically we are striving to reach a point where there is as much encouragement for women…as there is for men to play soccer. So, often men are encouraged to play soccer, so we are giving women the very same encouragement.

 

What are the advantages of a ladies’ football team?
Gender equality is our ultimate goal, yet so often we hear the phrase “she doesn’t play like a girl”. We are trying to move away from the mentality that generalises and devalues a female’s potential. Ladies’ soccer is a fun way to help women stay active.

 

Is ladies football any different from men’s football?
The only difference [are] the [physical differences] between men and women, hence you will find the women’s [game] slower paced as opposed to men’s soccer. The point is we are playing soccer: same rules, same game, same time, same everything.

 

AcedSports@Tuks Women’s Football Club Players. Image provided.

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