Photo Credit: Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club Ladies Team
South African international Andile Dlamini has added her voice to the calls for a fully professional league in order to boost the women's game in her country.
Goalkeeper Dlamini lamented the lack of a professional league this week when SA lost to Jamaica, going down 3-0 and then 3-2. The defeats to the Reggae Girls followed losses to Denmark and England in early November.
Video: SABC News report on Banyana Banyana matches versus Jamaica
"Whether we like it or not we don’t have a professional league. We still need a professional league in our country where women actually stop working and focus on football. And when you focus on your football you reach your full potential."
"But if you have to go to work and play football you are still average... you have to work ten times harder when you get to the national team because then the level is different," said the veteran goalie who plays for SAFA Women's League champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.
Her comments follow those of national team coach Desiree Ellis. In the aftermath of the defeats in Europe the Banyana Banyana tactician highlighted the lack of quality depth in the domestic game. Despite being champions of Africa, the South African league has only one club side that is totally professionally run - Mamelodi Sundowns.
In Jamaica the Banyana Banyana side that lost 3-2 this week had only four players who play abroad as full-time pros. One of them, Bongeka Gamede, moved to Denmark just last month.
Nevertheless, Dlamini said that was "not an excuse for failure".
"I still say we don't fail, we learn... in your defeat you learn. As a team the biggest thing is converting chances and just creating chances, moving quick off the ball, creating spaces for our teammates, and being compact when we defend."
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