Irene Yoakim, captain of The Magic Ladies has expressed her desire to make history with her new club by lifting the Coke Cup trophy for a third time in her illustrious career.
She did so in 2014 and 2021 with the former and now defunct Vasco Ladies.
The 33-year-old no-nonsense defender will be one of the most senior and successful players to walk onto the pitch when they cross swords with Dangerous Heroes (15:00) in the Ladies Coke Cup final in the Athlone Stadium on Saturday.
Yoakim revealed she is already licking her lips for this encounter as it will be the first cup final for The Magic, as well as Heroes.
“I love the taste of victory and I am certainly hungry for more,” Yoakim told No Bones with Jones.
“At my age, I am still very driven and hoping to get a third one (title) and it will personally be a very proud moment.
“I would give up, eventually you know, but not now as my knees are still fully working,” she jokingly said.
“Only when my time is up will I do so and then I would want to give back to the young talent in Cape Town,” the former Santos Ladies player added.
According to Yoakim it is “destiny” for the Magic Ladies that has only been together for eight months following a credible and fantastic showing – winning the Knockout title at the Cape Town Tygerberg LFA as well as finishing as runners-up in their Sasol League in their debut campaign.
“Being in the final is already an achievement on its own,” Yoakim further stated. “Our team is and has always been ready for a fight and this final will be no different,” she concluded.
Yoakim, who started her career with Kensington, knows all too well that nothing is achieved without hard work and dedication. Her list of achievements speaks for itself. She was a League winner with Vasco in 2019 but they fell short at the playoffs.
Two years later she won a historic treble – the League, Coke Cup and provincial playoffs subsequently gaining promotion to the Hollywoodbets Professional League for women. And possibly a third Coke title, who knows?
