Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and Banyana Banyana star Lebo Ramalepe has pleaded with business people to not look the other way when it comes to supporting women’s football, especially clubs in the Hollywoodbets Super League financially.
Ramalepe recently earned her 100th cap for the senior national women’s team and as she reflected on this milestone that took a decade, the defender highlighted the need for more financial support for other clubs in the league, as she knows the pain of playing without a salary.
The semi-professional league is in its’ fifth year running and it is not a secret that it’s a only few sides out of the 16 that are able to take care of their players financially, Sundowns being one of those teams that pays its players.
The Limpopo born right-back told iDiski Times writer Lethabo Kganyago in edition 150 of the newspaper, that for as long as playing fields are not levelled financially the African champions are always going to look spoiled.
“The difference between Mamelodi Sundowns and other clubs in the league is that the money they get from the league and the Champions League always goes back into the development of women’s football in the team,” Ramalepe told iDiski Times.
“Of course, if a team is unable to pay its players you are going to have many challenges and we call on other business people to invest in other clubs so that it’s not just Mamelodi Sundowns that pays its players.
“The reality is that it is a struggle and the Hollywoodbets League is not a professional league and not all the players in the league are getting paid.
“I’m grateful that Sundowns are able to take care of us but always praying that other teams can get the same, get sponsors because it’s painful to work for nothing.
“I hope and pray for things to change so it’s not like Mamelodi Sundowns players are just spoiled. We are spoiled because they have invested in women’s football but I pray for more for other teams so that they can also pay their players because it’s really not nice to not have an income.”
