The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) hosted the CAF/COSAFA Women’s Football Administrators and Leadership Workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 03 to 05 March 2026 under the theme “Empowering Our Game”.
TRFA’s Maggie Hendricks, the Vice President of the region and Chairperson of the Women’s Football Committee, and Michelle Abdeziet, the Chairperson of the Technical and Development Committee, both attended this workshop, representing the Tshwane Regional Football Association well.
The three-day workshop brought together women’s football administrators and leaders from across the country to strengthen leadership capacity, enhance strategic planning, and accelerate the development of women’s football within the Southern African region.
Day One: Leadership and the Growth of the Women’s Game
Participants were guided through an introductory session to define expectations and understand the purpose of the workshop. A comprehensive presentation on the growth and evolution of women’s football in Africa was delivered, outlining milestones achieved under CAF’s women’s football strategy and highlighting the increasing competitiveness of African teams and clubs on the global stage.
An overview of women’s football globally was shared, contextualising Africa’s progress within the international landscape. A series of leadership modules was led, focusing on leadership and communication strategies.
Day Two: Strategic Planning and Zonal Spotlight
The delegates also learnt the fundamentals of strategic planning, with an emphasis on its importance in driving structured, measurable development in women’s football, including lessons from the Comoros, which demonstrated how targeted strategic planning can unlock holistic development objectives.
A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) was conducted, presenting their findings and engaging in peer learning sessions. These discussions enabled federations to benchmark progress and identify shared regional priorities.
Participants also examined how COSAFA can develop a visible, empowering and sustainable zonal women’s football brand, leveraging competitions as platforms for promotion and growth.
Day Three: Mapping the Way Forward
The final day centred on translating strategy into action.
Participants worked through zonal and MA-focused planning sessions addressing:
- Vision-setting.
- Gap analysis.
- Identification of key priority areas.
- Defining measurable goals and actionable steps.
The workshop concluded with a session titled “Where Do We Go from Here?”, during which COSAFA outlined the next steps for the zone, followed by closing remarks and a formal closing ceremony.
To whom much has been given, much is expected. We shall expect much more leadership and direction from Maggie and Michelle in shaping TRFA, with an emphasis on women’s football. We are confident that they will help sharpen the focus in growing women’s football in Tshwane.
Baseline and Growth of Women’s Football in Tshwane
Junior Ladies’ player registration has maintained 5.9% (5,594) of total player registrations since the inception of MySAFA. The goal is to increase the registration volume rate compared to male registrations.
Through strategic leadership, a women’s football vision will be established, with medium- to long-term goals, objectives, and annual targets defined, and initiatives/projects initiated. This is where capacity building becomes important, and value gets created. Proof that we are led is in the making.
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