‘Beauties FC must be taken care of’ 

Veteran women football pioneer Julien Garises says for Beautis FC to put up a star-performance at the CAF women’s champions league qualifiers in Johannesburg, South Africa, later this month, the outfit needs financial assistance.

The FNB Women Super League 2024/25 football season champions are pitted in group A alongside favourites Mamelodi Sundowns, Ntopwa FC from Malawi, and Zesco Ndola Girls FC from Zambia.

Garises recently told Desert FM that South African outfit Mamelodi Sundowns, owned by billionaire Patrice Motsepe, are well taken care of and that Ntopwa FC, which is owned by the deputy mayor of Blantyre, is also financially supported.

She said Zambian side Zesco Ndola Girls FC is sponsored by Zesco Limited and that Beauties FC is the only team without a substantive sponsor.

“Beauties FC must be taken care of, and owner Salome Iyambo has demonstrated her confidence in the girls and the team’s talent.”

“All they need is the opportunity to compete regionally and ultimately on the continent,” Garises said.

She called on all our stakeholders and sport lovers to support the team with even N$100 as a start.

“If they can be provided with transport, they can drive down to Johannesburg. Give them a 32-seater van . . . let them go and represent our country at the highest level,” Garises said.

The former football administrator said Sundowns won that tournament twice and have to date played 30 games.

“They are a well-experienced side and the Banyana Banyana’s goalkeeper, Andile Dlamini, is Sundown’s captain. Ntopwa FC is exposed to a national league that has a new sponsor – the National Bank of Malawi – and Zesco Ndola Girls FC have more players in the senior national team.”

Garises said she fully supports Beauties FC.

“It’s an honor and privilege for the country to send a club, and for the first time in its history there are 10 clubs vying for top honours.

“Teams like Zesco Ndola Ladies FC and Ntopwa made sure to go through and win their respective national leagues because of the strength of their sponsors,” she said.

“As long as Namibian leagues are amateur, no one will take us seriously,” she said.

She said the Namibian football landscape needs to change “to make sure people take us seriously”.

SEMI-PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE

“The problem is we are beggars of the game and unless we change to a semi-professional league we will continue languishing in this situation for years,” Garises said.

She said the professionalisation of sport would not happen overnight.

“Maybe in the next five years. We do not even have a stadium to play football at. Namibian cricket will soon have their state-of-the-art stadium, and you will see their development reaching another level.”

Garises said football must become a workplace “where players train from morning to evening”.

“In that way footballers would have a purpose to grow and we can have more players sign for clubs anywhere on the continent,” she said.

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