The City of Johannesburg’s Sport and Recreation directorate recently hosted the Games 4 Change: Ladies Top 8 Football Spectacular Knockout and Final (Region C) at Braamfisher Multipurpose Centre.

The Ladies Top 8 Football Spectacular aims to develop female football, one of the City’s 12 priority codes, and it is a fantastic opportunity for young ladies to display their talent as female football players. Sport and Recreation aim to inspire and increase the number of young girls and women interested in female football by implementing such programmes.

“It feels rewarding to know that I made my parents and everyone proud of me. Through hard work, support, and solidarity from my team, we managed to score over seven goals today,” said Owami Dlamini of Durban Deep, who plays for Braamfisher.

The competition is the first of its kind in the region and the City. Participating teams included Braamfisher, Doornkop, Florida, Zandspruit, Cosmo City, Sol Platjies, Ebumnandini and Tshepisong.

All the participants were girls under the age of 17 and they were all exposed to the life-changing opportunity of talent identification by various ladies’ soccer academies and professional bodies. Best performers won individual accolades (miniature trophies).

The Games 4 Change objectives include increasing access to sports excellence through the provision of community-based games, developing an active and winning City, encouraging a healthy lifestyle within communities and most importantly, bringing the youth closer to the City and its services.

“As the City of Johannesburg, we are delighted to see an increase in the number of young girls interested in female soccer, not only do such programmes improve youngster’s physical well-being, but they also empower them to be the best versions of themselves, knowing that they can achieve anything they set their minds to,” said Joyce Jiyane, Region C’s Sport and Recreation Assistant Director.

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17/05/2022