IN PICS | Goals realised as five PMB soccer players called up for national U17 women's side

Pietermaritzburg girls' soccer captain Nonzuzo Buthelezi is still on a high after landing at the King Shaka international airport in Durban on Tuesday.

Buthelezi, 16, led a team of players representing SA at the Pan African Schools Championship in Kinshasa, narrowly missing victory in the finals against Morocco on Sunday.

The team received silver medals and for Buthelezi and four of her team mates from the Edendale Technical high school, celebrations continued when they were called up for the SA U17 side.

Her fellow pupils include Amahle Sishi, 15, Olwethu Sosibo, 16, Asanda Mchunu, 16 and Aphelele Mhlongo, 14.

Speaking to TimesLIVE on Tuesday, Buthelezi said their time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was invaluable, as they experienced being with other countries, discovering their cultures and importantly learning about different football strategies.

SA played against the DRC, Morocco, Senegal, Benin, and Ethiopia.

She said she was “very happy” to have made the finals and took lessons from the loss. 

Buthelezi said she was overjoyed to receive the Bantwana call up and encouraged other female players interested in the game to persevere in their dream of playing competitive female soccer.

“We wish that all the girls who are out there to play football will continue with their passion. I know it is not easy but trying is the only option to success. We also wish to see women empowerment and development  to rise. At the end, even if it may take years to reach at the top, patience will always be the key,” she said.

Mhlongo, who started playing football in 2019, said she was inspired by Banyana Banyana  defender Lonathemba Mhlongo as well as Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk.

“My goal is to be successful in life and have more money as well as to provide for my family through football. My family is very supportive as my elder sister was also playing football,” she said.

The five will start at the training camp from Thursday until March for the under-17 World Cup selections qualifier that will take place in late March 2022 in Kenya.

Team manager Lindokuhle Ngubane said: “Going to Congo has taught us a lot with African football as well as when you’re preparing for a tournament. We saw how schools support football as stadiums were fully-packed with children from various academies. In our first game we defeated Congo with 1-0 where my kids learnt to adapt in terms of referees and the field in terms of structure, but we did well.”

Their coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo said SA could learn from countries like Morocco and Ethiopia who promoted school sport.

“We are happy with the results and I would also like to thank my country. We went into the game as a competition and we came back with five heroes who are expected on Thursday to be at training camp for the national team.”

Khumalo said she hoped this would encourage other female soccer players to use this as inspiration to fuel their own dreams.

The players were introduced to the game via an FNB Football First initiative, a programme that develops and nurtures young gifted football playing boys and girls from grassroots level to under 13 as well as under 15.

In 2018 that programme was run by Khumalo who invited various schools to participate in the coaching clinics at Edendale Wadley stadium.

Parent Londeka Sosibo said she was “very excited and fully supported her child” after hearing she was called up to try out for the national team.

KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Kwazi Mshengu said the girls’ soccer team was to be commended in reaching the finals, adding they had done both the province and the country proud.

TimesLIVE