The South Africa Football Association Nelson Mandela Bay, in conjunction with COSAFA and LaLiga, will host a two-day Nomonde Makuleni Women’s Month Celebration Tournament on July 27-28 where top local female footballers will get the chance to showcase their talent.

Fourteen top local teams will be involved in the competition, which will be played in a knockout format at the Galvendale Stadium over two days, with the semifinal and final set for Sunday.

Makuleni served SAFA in the region as vice-president and died after a short illness last July at the age of 59, with the tournament to be played in her honour as a dedicated servant to football in the region and both schools level and beyond.

The first two matches in the preliminary round will kick-off at 10h00 on Saturday as Continental take on Park United on Galvendale Field A and Shatterprufe meet Kubs on Field B.

Nobuhle Ladies will take on Warriors on Field A at 11h00, while at the same time Rainbow Stars meet PE United on Field B. The final preliminary round clash sees Madibaz meet Zwide All Stars at 12h20.

Waiting for the winner of that clash in the quarterfinals will be Vuku Wanderers (Field B, 14h40), while Fire Stars meet Young Aces (Field A, 13h30) in the second Last 8 fixture.

The rest of the quarterfinal matches are determined by the winners of the preliminary round games.

The four sides that advance to the semifinals will return on Sunday morning for those matches at 10h00, with the final to be held at 13h00.

The tournament has been staged annually since the early 1990s to encourage, recognise and acknowledge the role of women in football development.

It has created opportunities for female administrators such as Lillian Cummingham, Nomalungelo Mooi, Nobesuthu Towana, Ntombekhaya Tose, Phindiwe Tetiwe, the late Mrs Makuleni to gain skills.

It has also developed players to play at a higher level, such as the Sasol League and South African national teams.

“We are delighted to partner with LaLiga to help promote women’s football in Nelson Mandela Bay and provide players with the opportunity to showcase their talent through the Nomonde Makuleni Women’s Month Celebration Tournament,” Mr Frans Mbidi, Vice-President COSAFA, said.

“COSAFA shares LaLiga’s desire to leave a legacy wherever we go and along with the 2019 COSAFA Women’s Championship and COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championship, this will be another way that we can leave lasting memories for the local communities.”

The COSAFA Women’s Championship will be staged in Nelson Mandela Bay from July 31-August 11, while the inaugural COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championship will be held in the same city from August 1-11.