Tura Magic reflects on Cosafa experience
Although Tura Magic Ladies lost both their matches and did not proceed to the knock-out stage, they took away hard but valuable lessons from participating in the Cosafa Women’s Champions League.
SPORTS REPORTER
Tura Magic Sports Club has expressed satisfaction with the way the players performed at the Cosafa Women’s Champions League in South Africa.
The chairperson of the club, Isack Hamata, thanked the organisers for granting them the opportunity to be part of history.
“We do not take the support for granted and therefore we commit to work harder to ensure that when we have another opportunity to compete against the region that we will produce better results.
“We thank the Namibia Football Association for the unwavering support and advice that we have benefited from as we prepared for and participated in the tournament.
“We are indebted to Debmarine Namibia, without whose sponsorship our participation in the Champions League would not have been possible. In our eyes, the financial support is worth more than the most expensive diamond that they have ever mined.
“As a club, we had set ourselves four objectives, which were to go and compete to the best of our abilities, expose our players to professional opportunities, to measure our strength against the rest of the region, and establish relationships with other clubs and federations in the region to improve our game,” added Hamata.
He added that despite the fact that Tura Magic Ladies lost both their matches and did not proceed to the knock-out stage, they took away hard but valuable lessons from participating in the tournament.
“Our girls fought gallantly but at the end of the day it was not to be. The gap between Tura Magic Ladies and our opponents was as clear as daylight. The opponents were better prepared for the tournament, backed by strong domestic leagues and support structures in their home countries,” he added.
Hamata congratulated Mamelodi Sundowns on winning the championship and earning the right to represent the region at the CAF Women’s Champions League in Egypt later this year.
“We wish Sundowns all the best as they start preparations to go and make the Cosafa region proud in Egypt.”
Only seven teams competed in the inaugural championships but the organisers have indicated that it will be compulsory for all member countries to participate as from next year.
“Such participation, as we have learned, requires proper preparation as well as adequate support from the football association, government and corporate Namibia.
“We have also learned that Cosafa is contemplating a male version of the Champions League in the next year or two. That means the winner of the Namibian men’s elite league will be obliged to represent the country against league winners from other premier leagues.
“Stronger leagues, as well as tough competition, for both men and women, at the highest level will be one way of ensuring that Namibian football holds its own against regional opposition.”
Future plans
He said Tura Magic management had started talks with clubs from neighbouring countries to host tri-nations series on a yearly, rotational basis.
“We hope to conclude these discussions very soon and put in place modalities on how exactly these tri-nations series will work.
“We are also excited to share that some of our players have caught the eye of the other clubs and are expecting official invitations for loan spells or permanent moves.
“We wish to expose them more to enable as many as possible players from Tura Magic Ladies and other clubs in the Women’s Super League to win contracts to play for stronger clubs across our borders. We believe it is only through such exposure that our national team will be able to stand up to other nations,” Hamata concluded.
Tura Magic Sports Club has expressed satisfaction with the way the players performed at the Cosafa Women’s Champions League in South Africa.
The chairperson of the club, Isack Hamata, thanked the organisers for granting them the opportunity to be part of history.
“We do not take the support for granted and therefore we commit to work harder to ensure that when we have another opportunity to compete against the region that we will produce better results.
“We thank the Namibia Football Association for the unwavering support and advice that we have benefited from as we prepared for and participated in the tournament.
“We are indebted to Debmarine Namibia, without whose sponsorship our participation in the Champions League would not have been possible. In our eyes, the financial support is worth more than the most expensive diamond that they have ever mined.
“As a club, we had set ourselves four objectives, which were to go and compete to the best of our abilities, expose our players to professional opportunities, to measure our strength against the rest of the region, and establish relationships with other clubs and federations in the region to improve our game,” added Hamata.
He added that despite the fact that Tura Magic Ladies lost both their matches and did not proceed to the knock-out stage, they took away hard but valuable lessons from participating in the tournament.
“Our girls fought gallantly but at the end of the day it was not to be. The gap between Tura Magic Ladies and our opponents was as clear as daylight. The opponents were better prepared for the tournament, backed by strong domestic leagues and support structures in their home countries,” he added.
Hamata congratulated Mamelodi Sundowns on winning the championship and earning the right to represent the region at the CAF Women’s Champions League in Egypt later this year.
“We wish Sundowns all the best as they start preparations to go and make the Cosafa region proud in Egypt.”
Only seven teams competed in the inaugural championships but the organisers have indicated that it will be compulsory for all member countries to participate as from next year.
“Such participation, as we have learned, requires proper preparation as well as adequate support from the football association, government and corporate Namibia.
“We have also learned that Cosafa is contemplating a male version of the Champions League in the next year or two. That means the winner of the Namibian men’s elite league will be obliged to represent the country against league winners from other premier leagues.
“Stronger leagues, as well as tough competition, for both men and women, at the highest level will be one way of ensuring that Namibian football holds its own against regional opposition.”
Future plans
He said Tura Magic management had started talks with clubs from neighbouring countries to host tri-nations series on a yearly, rotational basis.
“We hope to conclude these discussions very soon and put in place modalities on how exactly these tri-nations series will work.
“We are also excited to share that some of our players have caught the eye of the other clubs and are expecting official invitations for loan spells or permanent moves.
“We wish to expose them more to enable as many as possible players from Tura Magic Ladies and other clubs in the Women’s Super League to win contracts to play for stronger clubs across our borders. We believe it is only through such exposure that our national team will be able to stand up to other nations,” Hamata concluded.
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