The NFA Galz and Goals 2011 league kicked off in all the different towns recently with more girls taking part in the U13 and U15 leagues.
In the Omaheke region, the launch for the new league took place at the Legare Sports Complex, Gobabis with about 90 girls from various schools taking part.
In one of the U13 matches, defending champions Gobabis Primary School took on Nossoville Primary School in an exciting match in front of the crowd of supporters who turned up to watch.
Last year’s champions lost the match 2-1 with the Nossoville goals coming from Yakamuina Hianavita and Rayha Garises, while Sharon Shadiso scored for Gobabis.
In the other U13 match, Khoanwawes Primary School drew 2-2 against Rakutuka in an evenly contested match.
In the U15 matches, Epako Senior Secondary School lost their first match of the season against Gobabis after they conceded an own goal in the first five minutes of the match and eventually lost the match 2-0.
Wennie du Plessis beat Nossoville 3-1 with their striker Vepahera Kaseraera scoring a hat trick.
In Okahandja, the league kicked off on June 8 with six U13 and eight U15 teams registering to take part this season.
Okahandja Primary School was the new addition to the Galz and Goals league.
League organiser, Salome Iyambo, who is also the chairperson for the Okahandja league said she was very impressed with the way the league was going.
“I am proud of the way the kids are playing and the commitment of the teachers, coaches and our youth who are officiating the games and presenting life skills games,” Iyambo said.
Toyah Howarth from NFA said that they aimed to increase the number of teams in the leagues.
“One of our main aims this year is to increase the number of girls who are playing in the Galz and Goals league,” Howarth said.
“We are also planning to include the healthy lifestyles component. This will be done by the chairpersons of the different leagues running in the towns,” she added.
Currently the league is active in Windhoek, Rundu, Okahandja, Khorixas, Gobabis and Keetmanshoop.
Howarth said that the girls would host a UNICEF Galz and Goals U16 International tournament where Botswana and Lesotho would participate.
“The tournament will take place on October 22, the two teams will arrive in Namibia on the 21st and leave on the 23rd.”
“The Namibian team will be selected after the Phase 2, NFA Galz and Goals School of Excellence Elite Players program where 40 players from across the country will be brought into Soccer House for a week long training camp,” she said.
“During that week, they will also receive some life skills training, the camp will be held in August” Howarth added.
A Galz and Goals festival will be held in either Luderitz or Karasburg in October on a yet to be confirmed date. The four-day festival will have healthy lifestyle training, two days of football coaching courses and a football tournament on the last day.