Pretoria, South Africa – (African Boulevard News) – The South African Football Association (SAFA) has appointed its first female CEO, former Banyana Banyana captain and coach, Fran Hilton-Smith. This comes after the resignation of Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe from the position on Friday.
Hilton-Smith, who has been part of the football fraternity for over three decades, made history after being appointed to lead the association. She is determined to make a difference and has big plans for the organization. “The first focus is to unite the country through football, just like we did in 2010 when we hosted the FIFA World Cup. I am excited about the challenges and look forward to working with my colleagues to take SAFA to new heights,” she said.
Hilton-Smith began her football career playing for the South African women’s national team, Banyana Banyana in 1993. She played for the team for 11 years before becoming the team’s assistant coach in 2007. She went on to become the head coach the following year, leading the team to their first-ever qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2018.
South Africa has not had the best of times in football lately, and Hilton-Smith has a lot of work to do to get things back on track. However, her appointment has been welcomed by many in the football fraternity, who believe that she is the right person for the job.
Reacting to Hilton-Smith’s appointment, SAFA President, Dr. Danny Jordaan said, “We are delighted to have Fran on board. She has a wealth of experience in football administration and coaching. We believe that her appointment will bring stability and progress to the association.”
In conclusion, Hilton-Smith’s appointment as the new CEO of SAFA is an exciting development for women in sports and a step forward in the fight for gender equality. Hilton-Smith’s experience and passion for football, combined with her determination to make a difference, will undoubtedly be an asset to the association. We wish her all the best as she takes on this new challenge.
