The Rep 05 March 2021

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Wo m e n ’s football back in play
LFA leadership wants team at Safa regional level
ANDISA BONANI
The Enoch Mgijima Local
Football Association (LFA)
leadership plans to
resuscitate the non-existent
wo m e n ’s football league so
there will be a female team at
Safa regional level.
The planning and
restructuring of the league was
discussed during a meeting at
the Dumpy Adams Sport
Complex on Saturday.
Enoch Mgijima LFA head of
wo m e n ’s football Thembakazi
Koni indicated there were 13
teams in the area that would
have to play against each other
to determine which would
represent them in the region.
“Safa requested that we do
things differently this time. We
will now play according to our
zones per LFA. This means all
zones with soccer teams will
play against each other and
choose the best team to play
against other zone level
winners. We are doing this
because some zones have more
than one team. The Komani
zone has four teams so will play
together and the overall winner
will represent our zone.
“Teams with one team will
automatically play in the games
that will determine the overall
winner to represent Enoch
Mgijima at Safa regional level,”
said Koni.
Enoch Mgijima zones
include Komani, Ezibeleni,
Ilinge, Ntabethemba, Dongwe
and Molteno.
She said the teams did not
automatically qualify to play in
the league. They first had to
register at their LFA and pay
R100, and then with regional
Safa, which cost R500.
“Te a m s need to officially
register with the LFA, but due to
financial constraints we might
end up with eight teams.
“Safa has not explained to us
how the R500 they require will
assist the teams. We do not
know whether the money is for
prizes or not. We have
scheduled a meeting with the
heads of all LFAs in the region
and we will ask all questions
about the money,” she said.
The women’s football league
is set to commence in April.
Old Collegians new
heads have big plans
ON THE BALL
MAXWELL LEVINE
As they say, change is good,
and the winds of change have
blown in the direction of Old
Collegians (OC) RFC, one of
the biggest clubs in Komani.
A new executive was
elected at a special general
meeting last Friday, culminating
a new structure, with the hope
of revitalising the struggling
club and bringing it back to
where it belongs among the top
tier teams of Border rugby.
Once the darlings of rugby
in the VAN area (Victoria Park,
Aloevale and New Rest), the
club has been a shadow of its
former self, dropping from the
top tier Super League to the
Premier League and from there,
relegated to the First Division.
With the calibre of players
at its disposal, it is shocking to
find OC in the lower leagues.
However, in steps Jerome
Jasson as the new chairperson,
taking over from incumbent
Maxwell Levine, who has
relocated to Cape Town.
Jasson is a long-standing
member of OC, having played
for the club and serving a
period as vice chair.
He has deep roots with OC
and his father, the late Winston
Jasson, was a former president.
Jerome was also the first
sponsor, through his company
JJ Motors, of the first three
editions of the popular OC 10s.
He comes into the position
well equipped with business
acumen, coupled with his
passion and love for the club.
Another long-standing
member of the club, Brian
Williams, comes in as vicechair.
He was one of the best
players OC has ever produced.
He excelled in his rugby
career, playing numerous times
for the provincial team and
even touring Italy.
He has been with OC all his
life as a player and coach, with
his most recent position that of
director of rugby at the club.
Another stalwart, Brandon
Adonis, is now treasurer, with
the expertise of working in the
banking sector. He is also a
former club player.
Nicolene van Schalkwyk
has moved from treasurer to
secretary. It is her second term
on the executive, with Riaan
Davids as assistant secretary.
Levine was retained on the
executive to provide expert
advice. He has served on the
OC executive since 2011.
Colin Kemp moves from
player to additional member,
with Deveron Zoopz Loutz
shifting from coach to the
executive as an additional
m e m b e r.
With the executive elected,
the club hopes to solidify their
coaching structures, work hard,
and return to the Super League
within two years.
ATTACK MINDED: Black Stars FC, in yellow, red and blue, faced Rising Stars FC in a friendly
match in Komani recently as the teams prepared for the junior soccer league set to kick off in
April Picture: ANDISA BONANI