By Chris Totobela
Recently crowned the best player and top goal scorer in the June 16 Women’s Soccer Tournament played over the Youth Day long weekend, 17-year-old Sosindangaye Nondlwana has been touted as a star in the making.
Nwabisa Tyelbooi, a top player in her heyday, and now an executive member of African Connection Women’s Football Club, says Nondlwana will go far as a footballer if she remains humble and hardworking.
Grocott’s Mail sat down with the Diski queen, as Nondlwana is popularly known in Makhanda, for a final Youth Month feature focusing on talented young footballers who are making a mark in the sport.
Nondlwana recalled when she started kicking the ball at a very young age. She was in grade 4 and would accompany her cousins Kamvelihle Nondlwana and Hlumelo Clay to play football.
“I used to go and watch my cousins’ team in their informal or non-league games that were known as challenge games and I started to fall in love with the round ball. It happened that one day they were a player short and they asked me to fill in, and I never looked back.”
The grade 12 Nombulelo Secondary School pupil is the only child of her parents and also played netball like any other girl, but decided to take football seriously.
Nondlwana joined top local women football side African Connection a few years ago and that is when her game took a giant step. “I think joining Amakonokono changed my game completely as I was surrounded by hardworking players. The team takes good care of players on and off the field. The passion that the coach has in football rubs off to us as players and that is why we always give our all whenever we play.”
Nondlwana says that the support she gets from her mother Daphne Andiswa Nondlwana is out of this world and drives her to even greater heights. “My mother is my biggest supporter, she goes an extra mile to make sure that I get everything I need for both sport and education. I make sure that I reward her with a good performance whenever she comes to our games. I just can’t imagine my life without her love and support.”
The playmaker was recently crowned the June 16 Women Soccer Tournament’s best player and leading goal scorer. She attributes that achievement to the support system she has. “My coach pushes me to work hard everyday and always tells me to use and cherish the talent God has given me. My teammates trust me so much that I never wanted to disappoint them, and lastly my mother always encourages me to do well.”
She also shared a Youth Month message with the readers. “I would like to encourage my fellow young people to focus on education and sport. Many young people are drowning themselves in alcohol and some are into drugs as they try to fit in with their peers while missing out on an opportunity to educate themselves and make something out of their lives. Let them not give in to peer pressure.”
Tyelbooi said Nondlwana reminds her of her own playing days. “Sosinda is an important member of our team and when she is on song, the entire team plays well. She is under the wing of a very good coach who knows how to get the best out of his players. If she can remain humble and listen and remain disciplined, that coach will take her far. She is a hard worker with an eye for goal and I was not surprised to see her play the way she did in the June 16 tournament.”
