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THE University of the Western Cape (UWC) has launched She-Bobo at institution, a soccer league established exclusively for girls under-8 and under-10.
According to the universty, the lack of competitive soccer among young girls hampers the grassroots development of the women’s game in a country where Banyana Banyana already participated in their first FIFA World Cup and have recently won the Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Dr Danny Jordaan, South African Football Association president and UWC alumnus, said the league’s launch could not have come at a better time.
“It is a project that we are certainly delighted about and will support. It’s in the context of us making a bid for the Women’s World Cup in 2027. We are going to launch our intention to bid and then a full bidding process will be outlined by FIFA … around the time that we will see the launch of She-Bobo. It is indeed a wonderful initiative,” said Jordan.
“UWC has made its contribution. More than 15 of our national team players come from UWC – both in terms of sport and education. Many of them are graduates and it’s no wonder that 80 percent of the Banyana team are graduates. It is something we encourage. We hope these girls that start at an early age will eventually enrol at the University to continue their studies. This is one of the most important things: sport and education, and not a choice between a sporting career and having an education.”
Professor Tyrone Pretorius, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor and himself a notable soccer alumnus, said: “It is our hope that She-Bobo becomes the blueprint for how universities around the country can engage communities through sport and become the drivers for social change as the anchor institutions in our society.”
“As we celebrate our heroes as the WAFCON champions, we welcome the new cohort of future stars gracing our sporting fields in the She-Bobo at UWC league. We will be watching with great interest the progress of these little superstars, from goals to graduation gowns.”
She-Bobo at UWC will include soccer clubs in neighbouring communities and across the Cape metropole to play in a league of their own in 2023.
The league is the brainchild of UWC Media and Marketing manager, Gasant Abarder, off the back of the University already being a hub for women’s football.
UWC is home to a senior women’s football side that finished 3rd in the Hollywoodbets-sponsored national football league in 2021 and won the prestigious 2021 Varsity Women’s Football tournament in the same year.
“We believe that creating a platform for junior girl footballers is an investment in young girl children. We want to be a game changer as a catalyst for social change and a conduit to the girl child realising her full potential – from excelling on the playing field to eventually graduating from UWC as a well-rounded citizen of the world,” said Abarder.
“At UWC, we know full well how talented girl footballers are in a league of their own. We want to be their springboard for a whole new world that connects possibilities.”
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