Mai Tongogara: Defying odds to nurture women’s football in the Midlands

By Sports Reporters

In the late-1990s, when girls playing football was dismissed as unladylike and often met with ridicule, one woman in Gweru’s Mkoba suburb dared to think differently.

Armed with nothing more than passion and conviction, Felistas Tongogara, affectionately known as Mai Tongogara, founded Chipembere Queens in 1999 — a girls’ football team from a drum majorettes club.

The team later turned out to be the seed of a women’s football revolution in the Midlands province. At the time, football fields were the preserve of boys and men.

Girls who showed interest were labelled rebels, and parents discouraged them from “wasting time” on a sport that society believed was not theirs to play.

But Tongogara refused to bow to patriarchy.

“People used to laugh at us. They said I was wasting time trying to make girls play football,” she recalls.

“But I saw talent and I saw dreams in those young girls. I knew if I didn’t fight for them, no one would.”

What started as a small initiative at football grounds in Mkoba 6 grew into something bigger.

Chipembere Queens became a sanctuary for many girls in Gweru — a place where they could lace up boots without shame, where they could run, dribble, and dream.

In 2003, Chipembere Queens qualified to play in Norway and for the majority of the players and executive, it was their first time to go to Europe.

After the European tour, girls soccer enthusiasm grew and Chipembere Queens became a big institution in Gweru and beyond, signing even players from outside the country.

In 2011, Gweru City Council, which was the major sponsor pulled out, but Tongogara who was an employee in the council’s social welfare department did not budge.

Her resilience over the years gave birth to one of Zimbabwe’s strongest football teams now playing in the top flight Zimbabwe Women Soccer League (ZWSL).

The efforts have not gone unnoticed, as revealed by seasoned women’s football administrator and recent ZWSL chairperson, Theresa Maguraushe.

“She has been in the game for a long time,” says Maguraushe.

“For all my years in women’s football, I have seen such passion from a very few individuals.

“When you enter into this arena, a lot of things up because girls are generally vulnerable in our society.

“So, you have to ensure their welfare and safety is taken care of. There are many vices that we try to help these girls run away from through football; you can talk of teenage pregnancies and drugs.

“Mai Tongogara has made great sacrifices, sometimes using her own resources to prop up women’s football.

“She has gone the extra mile to the extent of taking some of the girls as her own. Those that came to Gweru and had no accommodation, she took them into her house. She provided transport, food and contributed to their overall comfort.

“As a result, Chipembere Queens has managed to survive for over two decades because of her commitment. This is truly commendable,” Magurashe reckons.

Chipembere Queens was later to be changed ownership in May last year as the team, which had now been reunited with Gweru City Council was teetering on the verge of collapse due to lack of finances.

In came Sheasham Investment, who took over the team and subsequently changed the name to Sheasham Gweru Queens.

Speaking about the change of ownership, Sheasham president Clever Mandaza said the decision to adopt the club was based on his company’s love for sport and development and empowerment of the girl child.

“Sheasham companies and the city of Gweru have had a long standing relationship since 1993. Both institutions share passion for football considering it to be the noblest of all sports,” Mandaza said.

“The partnership between these two entities is premised on the shared love for sport… Football can play a role in making the girl child exemplary.”

Amid the ownership changes, Tongogara remained within the rudimentary of girls soccer development that saw her spearhead the establishment of a female soccer league in the Midlands.

She also doubles as Sheasham Gweru Queens manager and her daughter, Shylet, a former goalkeeper of Chipembere Queens, is the team medic.

Today, the Central Region Women’s Soccer League boasts a competitive structure that has produced some of the country’s finest players.

“Some of the players who passed through my hands went on to represent the Mighty Warriors. That gives me pride because it shows the work we started decades ago was not in vain,” she says with a smile.

The journey, however, has not been easy. Sponsorship has always been elusive, and the women’s game often struggles for recognition. Yet, where resources have failed, Tongogara’s persistence has carried the dream forward. She has knocked on doors, mobilised communities, and at times dug into her own pocket to ensure young girls got a chance to play.

“There were times when teams could not even afford transport. Sometimes I would use my own resources. I could not let the girls down,” she says.

Beyond building teams, Tongogara’s work has also been about dismantling harmful stereotypes.

In a society where women in sport were seen as rebels, she has helped shift perceptions.

Today, parents in Gweru and across the Midlands proudly send their daughters to join local teams, a transformation that seemed impossible 30 years ago.

“When I started, people thought women’s football was a joke. Now, I see parents bringing their daughters to play. That is the biggest success — changing the mindset,” she says.

Her passion has not gone unnoticed. Players speak of her as a mentor and a mother figure.

“Mai Tongogara was more than an administrator. She believed in us when no one else did. She pushed us to work hard, even when things were tough,” said former Chipembere Queens player Sku “Marcopolo” Nyoni, who also had a cameo role at the Mighty Warriors.

Through her leadership, enthusiasm for women’s football has grown in the province. Matches in the Midlands now attract interest, and the league continues to produce stars who dream of international recognition.

But the chasm between women’s football and the men’s game continues to widen. Women’s football is still treated as second class, with the snub by the corporate world making it worse.

The women’s league often drifts with no sponsorship at all. Usually, the teams have no choice but to play on rough and unkempt surfaces, risking injury.

While conceding the drawbacks, newly elected ZWSL chairperson Chido Chizondo believes with improved governance, women’s football has a fighting chance to survive the challenges.

“I think over the years we keep getting questions, the problem that keeps coming up in women’s football is that there is no money,” she says.

“But as a league are we addressing the issues around money because for you to have a sponsor that comes through, you also need to be attractive enough. Remember for sponsors to come on board they need to understand that they will get value for money if they are to sponsor you.

“So, for us it’s about professionalising the league, put structures in place that allow for the growth and development of the league… Importantly revamping the brand of women’s football is important, ensuring that the girls are playing on surfaces that they believe are at a higher standard. Across Zimbabwe, the women’s sport is played in not so good stadiums and that alone deters the growth of the sport,” says Chizondo.

Chizondo’s views resonate with Chipembere Queens founder, Tongogara. The mission is far from complete. Tongogara envisions a future where women’s football enjoys equal treatment with the men’s game — in resources, coverage, and respect.

“We have come a long way, but we are not yet where we want to be. Women’s football still needs strong investment and media support. If given the same platform, our girls can conquer Africa,” she says.

From the dusty pitches of Mkoba to the national stage, Mai Tongogara’s story is one of courage, resilience, and trailblazing leadership. Against patriarchy, prejudice, and poverty, she has built a legacy that continues to inspire girls to dream — and to play.

As the whistle blows on yet another weekend of women’s league matches in the Midlands, the echoes of her vision resound: football is for everyone, and young girls deserve a place on the pitch.