Businesswoman and reality TV star Shaun Mkhize said launching Royal AM Ladies FC and announcing Tamia Mpisane as the deputy chair was a perfect way for them to create a legacy for women by women.
Taking to her Instagram timeline, she shared snaps from the announcement and said they were also celebrating two years since the inception of Royal AM.
MaMkhize told TshisaLIVE she had always wanted to put the spotlight on women's football.
“I’ve always noticed that women’s football is underrated in SA and I wanted to create awareness. For starters, our national team does not get the recognition they deserve and it’s about time we put the spotlight on women’s football. The success of Banyana Banyana is a prime example of why more resources need to be injected in women's football. We’ve already secured a partnership with World Sports Betting that will ensure that we make game changing advancements for women in this sport.”
She announced she bought Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies, who according to TimesLIVE campaigned in the SA Football Association-run Hollywood Bets Super League, and renamed them Royal AM Ladies on Friday.
“The sale package of Bloemfontein Celtics FC to Royal AM FC last year included the ladies team, but unfortunately we were unable to manage and run the team at that time. On Friday we announced the launch of Royal AM Ladies FC which was formally Bloemfontein Celtics Ladies FC . All the players and technical team, including coach Thato Haraba, are still part of the team.”
MaMkhize said Tamia is from a football family. Her uncle Sifiso Biyela is the owner of Richards Bay FC and it was a natural fit to have her as deputy chair for the team.
“The future of football is in the youth and why not have the younger generation leading from the front? Tamia is going to contribute significantly to the administration, running and overall success of the ladies team.”
The businesswoman said with this launch, and her presence in women's football, she wanted to bring the spotlight to it.
“For me, the goal is for women’s teams to get the recognition they deserve. Our hope is to shine the spotlight on women in football. We want to make noise, we want to be seen and we ultimately want to level the playing field with our male counterparts.”
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.