The only active team of women footballers in town, African Connection Women’s Football Club, hosted its
prizegiving ceremony to honour the players who have performed remarkably during the 2009/10 Cacadu Women Football League season.
The only active team of women footballers in town, African Connection Women’s Football Club, hosted its
prizegiving ceremony to honour the players who have performed remarkably during the 2009/10 Cacadu Women Football League season.
This is after the team’s second consecutive district league title (which they won in the 2008/09 season for the first time) after which the Connections went on and took it in the 2009/10 season.
Established in 1996, African Connection has had great difficulty in making a name for themselves as a women’s team from poor backgrounds.
But according to team coach Chris Totobela the success of the team came with the sacrifices made by its founders.
“The founding players of the team never had it easy, we used to hold training sessions every day and three times on a weekend and they sacrificed a lot of things to make the teams what it is today,” said Totobela.
The captain and one of the club’s biggest achievers, Nosifundo “Ronaldo” Mfabana who has nailed her position in the Eastern Province U19 womens squad is awaiting a call to join the U20 Banyana Banyana training camp.
The prizegiving was graced by the presence of the club’s old players Sandiswa Matiwana, Thembakazi Cunge and Vuyiseka Mzimba who co-ordinated the ceremony and also shared words of advice with the players.
Mzimba, as one of the founding members of the club, shared her experience. Since she had joined shortly after 1996. She cautioned on the players’ conduct on and off the field.
Parent Ndanele Dastile spoke about the attitude of sportsmen and women and the role played by parents in their children’s sports.
Dastile pleaded with parents to offer support to their children’s as they are vulnerable to peer pressure that leads to drugs and alcohol.
Thandazwa Budaza beat Nandipha Nojozi in the Goalkeeper of the Season category and the Leading Goal Scorer award went to Mfabana who complimented Connection’s success last season.
The Best Goal of the Season award went to Zikhona Dastile who was competing with Mfabana and Lathiswa Mntumni.
The Best Dressed Player was awarded to Nokuthula Siyo while Thandazwa Budaza was declared the Most Disciplined and Dedicated Player of the Season.
Honouring the club’s future stars, the Newcomer of the Season award wa sintroduced, which went to Nwabisa Jafta.
Lathiswa Mntumni was declared the Most Improved Player while Dastile won the Young Player award. The longest serving player in the club is Nobesuthu Kosi, who took home the Long and Loyal Player award.
Nwabisa Tyeelbooi received the Executive Award for players who have dedicated themselves on and off the field to the club.
After her long success not only in the club but also in district, provincial and soon in national colours, Mfabana won herself the Player of the Season award for her outstanding performance.
A special award from Mzimba, who wore jersey number 11 in her days, awarded it to the current number 11 player, Dastile.
Totobela would like to thank the sponsors who made it possible such as Albany Sports, Redwood Spur, Birchs and Juice Bar and Roxbury Cinema.
The Cacadu district champions, African Connection will start with their new season soon and Totobela hopes for a third league title.
He said “We are to start the league soon and this time we want to win it for the third time but we will have to maintain our level of performance.”
