AFC Ann Arbor announced today the women’s side will be competing in the USL W League for the 2022 season. The men’s side is set to compete in USL2 next summer meaning both clubs now fall under the United Soccer League umbrella.
"As the game continues to grow in the US, aspiring players want to compete at the highest level possible to push their careers on and the W league is the best place for our club to provide that opportunity to our diverse community of athletes." Women's Head Coach, Boyzzz Khumalo.
Through membership in the W League, AFC Ann Arbor will deepen its commitment to the growth of the game by providing equal opportunity for men and women athletes in the greater Ann Arbor area to pursue soccer careers at the next level. As members of the W League, the club will also see the benefits of the USL’s fully formed women’s pathway, which offers opportunities for player development at all levels from youth to pro.
Ann Arbor joins Midwest United FC out of Grand Rapids as the second team from Michigan to join the league.
The women’s side launched in 2019, before being forced into a two-year hiatus due to COVID. Returning to the pitch for the second season in 2022, first year Head Coach Boyzzz Khumalo has been waiting patiently for the opportunity to lead the women after taking the helm in September 2019.
For more information on the W League, visit uslwleague.com.
In the Community
Boyzzz Khumalo has been with the club since 2016, has an award named after him and is a fixture at community events hosted by AFC Ann Arbor.
Khumalo, along with Emily Eitzman, the youngest goal scorer in club history, have represented the women’s team well in all of AFC Ann Arbor’s community projects including the Book & Ball program, Community Kicks, CLR Academy and both Eitzman and Khmulao serve as board members of the club’s non profit arm, The Mighty Oak Project.
The two not only share a passion for soccer and community, but have known each other for many years and have formed a close bond over those shared passions.
Khumalo also runs Umhlaba Vision Foundation, a program aimed at uplifting youth by creating opportunities for them.
In addition to all of the time Eitzman donated, she also managed to find time to author and illustrate her first children’s book, Grandpa’s Advice, a book aimed at introducing children to diverse family backgrounds.
These two have been busy building the culture of the women’s side for the past two years off the field and are eager to do so on the pitch starting May of 2022.