A South African team you won’t hear about

The World Cup is well underway, and Bafana Bafana notched a stirring opening match result in a 1-1 tie with Mexico to make the home nation proud.

But Atlanta writer John Turnbull, proprietor of The Global Game, a most sumptuous site for those interested in the intersection between soccer and culture, has written eloquently about a team that may not garner many more headlines than this one during the World Cup.

It’s an openly lesbian team that identifies itself openly as such, which is quite dangerous given the horrific crimes being committed against gay women in South Africa.

The Chosen Few club is getting some attention now from the likes of the BBC and Reuters, although John visited with players there last year on a trip to South Africa during the Confederations Cup.

In an interview with the CBC, Turnbull explains why he focuses on soccer the way he does, especially when it comes to women playing the game:

“There always seems more at stake when women play. They are doing it for love. There isn’t much money for women’s players. It’s a journeyman existence, sometimes going against the wishes of your family and friends. A lot of things are pushing against you.

“It’s always interesting to look at culture in terms of gender and women’s access to sport is sometimes a good indicator of how much equality a society gives its women.”