“It is very difficult to wake up in the morning, go to work, then rush off to training afterwards,” says JVW midfielder Bongiwe Thusi.
Sadly, that is the life of many a footballer in women’s football in South Africa. Statistics show that a high number of players in the Hollywoodbets Super League hold a 9-5 job to be able to put food on the table as football is not sustaining them.
There are five university teams in the league – Fort Hare, UJ, UWC, TUT and UP – and from the 11 remaining teams in the 16-club league, the bulk of the players are employed elsewhere and play the game on a part-time basis.
One of those is Thusi.
She is in the construction business where she is a sub-contractor getting odd jobs here and there. Although they keep the wolf away from the door, it is nothing to write home about as the business is not regular.
But it is her other job that puts a smile on her face… Thusi Authentic, a sports massage and therapy parlor that she is operating on a daily basis.
“I am a sub-contractor working in small projects and get jobs from time to time – which is not regular, but it is helping a lot. I have my own practice, however, Thusi Authentic, I am loving every moment in that job and my wish is to see myself someday working in the junior national teams, giving back to my country as I was also served during my days in the national team,” said a beaming Thusi.
Although she loves what she is doing, Thusi was somehow forced to open the practice when she realised that football will not be able to provide for her the way she expects.
“It is very difficult to wake up in the morning, go to work, knock off late and still head to training. When you get there, the coach wants the best of you, and rightly so, but the energy is gone. The league is a marathon – 30 games in total – and you find that by the second half of the season, most players are tired because it takes a lot. Other times you play weekdays and also on Sunday, but on Monday you have to pick yourself up and go to work, so it is really tiring,” she said.
The former Banyana Banyana international says there is only one solution.
“We need sponsors in women’s football, that’s our biggest challenge. Yes, we have Hollywoodbets but alone they can’t do much. Remember there are 16 teams in the league – they have to travel, book hotels and pay players. I believe if we had sponsors and we received good salaries not many players would be working as they will be dependent on football – giving us a chance to focus on the trade, which in turn will help improve the standard of the league,” added Thusi.
“The more time we spend at training the more improvement you will see from the players and the better the product – but currently that is not the case and cannot happen because we have to put food on the table by going to work. Sadly, come match days, even though we give our all, it is clear that we can do better. So, if we can get sponsors on board, and professionalize the league, there will be a huge difference.”
No so long ago, JVW posted a heartwarming plea to all and sundry that they needed help with crowdfunding, highlighting the seriousness of the matter in women’s football.
Back to the massage parlor, Thusi says she also had a good reason for opening it.
“The reason I opened it is that I have noticed that in women’s football not much attention is given to the medical side of things. When playing too many games without a massage can affect your performance, and playing while fatigued can lead to injuries. Other than trying to make a living out of it, I started this practice to assist and take care of our bodies as athletes. It is always lovely to play with a fresh body because in that way you give your all and are able to think straight and you are always ready for the game, especially mentally. The fresher you are, the better the performance,” said Thusi.
She should know.
Thusi is one of the few women players that have played outside the country – she was on the books of Malabo Kings Ladies of Equatorial Guinea where all these happened for the team.
“Unfortunately, in women’s football we don’t get that a lot because we don’t have large medical teams to accompany us, and we only have doctors on call at only at matches because of the costs – hence the need for sponsorship. I attended a Sasol league match not so long ago, and I saw several players with injury, and it broke my heart, knowing that there could be something to prevent that or even take care of it,” said Thusi.
“Sports recovery is very important. Getting a rub-down is crucial as it helps you get back in the game in good condition. There is nothing refreshing as playing without any injury or fatigue worries – it releases your inner excitement and leads one to play well.”
Looking at their league season so far, Thusi, commonly known as Slender, says they haven’t done bad at all. They are currently fourth on the table – behind log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, second placed University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ Ladies).
After 20 outings, JVW is on 38 points – 15 adrift of the top team.
“Not a bad season at all, we didn’t start well but we have seen lots of improvements. We rectified out mistakes to get to where we are now, and our aim is to push to second position or at worst three. We can’t afford to go below third position after doing so well last year, that would be dropping in standards,” said Thusi.
The 2021 CAF Women’s Champions League winner with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies is proud of her former employers who are currently in the USA to take part in their first ever Women’s Cup in Missouri. In the two-match encounter, they will face hosts Kansas City Current in the first match, and then take on one between INAC Kobe of Japan and Spain’s Athlético de Madrid.
“As a footballer it gives me great hope and courage to see a team like Sundowns going to play in that prestigious tournament in the USA, it again shows that as a country we are doing something right. Sundowns Ladies has been representing us well in most tournaments outside the country and for the organisers of the Women’s Cup to invite them means they saw something good in them, and also an indicator that our women’s football is on the right track. This is perhaps also a sign that someday, if we continue to do well in the game, one of the teams in the league could be the one going to the tournament – so Sundowns has basically opened doors for all of us,” said Slender.
She also sent well wishes to UWC who are in Malawi to play in their first ever CAF Women’s Champions League COSAFA qualifier.
“It is very encouraging to us and perhaps other teams as well, that we may see ourselves also representing the country at COSAFA level. That UWC is in Malawi will no doubt push all the teams to say it is possible – and will make the league even more exciting knowing that if you don’t take the first spot, you still stand a good chance of flying your country’s flag in the COSAFA tournament by finishing second. This is just an added incentive, and I guess is something we are all aiming for – this has made top two spots ever so important in the league,” conclude Thusi.
For all your Sports Massage bookings, Thusi Authentic is can be contacted on +27 63 379 4126 or on Instagram @thusi_authentic
By Matlhomola Morake
