Nosifundo Fabani from Extension 6 in Joza believes that playing football is her calling and she doesn’t want anything to interfere with that.
Fabani was selected as part as the Eastern Cape U19 women’s soccer side at the beginning of August.This 17-year-old young woman was inspired by her brother who used to go to the gym and play football.
Nosifundo Fabani from Extension 6 in Joza believes that playing football is her calling and she doesn’t want anything to interfere with that.
Fabani was selected as part as the Eastern Cape U19 women’s soccer side at the beginning of August.This 17-year-old young woman was inspired by her brother who used to go to the gym and play football.
“My brother used to tell me that there is no rule which says football is only for boys,” she said. “People started calling me Ronaldo after I joined the African Connections Football Club,” she said laughing.
Fabani decided to follow in her brother’s footsteps after his leg was broken and he could not play soccer anymore.
“Since my brother could not play soccer again, I decided to continue with soccer in order to please him and myself,” she said. Fabani has joined the club in 2007 and is coached by Chris Totobela.
After she was chosen to represent the Cacadu district she was selected as the best candidate to represent the Eastern Cape last month in the football nationals in Pretoria.
Fabani said even though the Eastern Cape side didn’t win, she still feels that she has achieved something. “I was very happy to represent the Eastern Cape, it was an opportunity to me,” she says, with a smile.
As a Grade 12 at Ntsika Secondary School she says one needs to have a balanced life in order to be successful. “I am also a leaner and I get enough time for my studies, so football is not putting my academia at stake” she said with confidence.
She says she wants to go further with her studies after completing her matric. “I want to be a social worker because I like serving the community.”
When this happens she won’t negelect her sport because no one works for 24 hours and there is always time to do other things. Fabani said she will not rest until she gets selected to play for Banyana Banyana, the national women football team.
She attends church choir practices during her spare time to sing and also enjoys reading magazines, novels and other interesting books.
Being the last born out of four siblings did not make her selfish and naïve because she also wants to recruit other youth to join the football club.“I want the youth, especially girls, to keep themselves busy with soccer to avoid crime,” she said.
Fabani advises people who want to be successful in life to persevere and be dedicated. “Hard work is what makes a person to become someone in the future.”
