Birds trio back from U17 mission

The three promising youngsters from the Bluebirds Ladies team who had been called up for South Africa’s U17 World Cup qualifying matches against Nigeria, have returned to the team with valuable knowledge which they hope will rub off on their domestic play.

The trio of new goal minder Siphesihle Madala, and forwards Morongwa Manamela and Tshwarelo Digaota, said they were delighted to have been chosen to represent their country in the two-legged qualifiers away and at home.

One of Birds’s most promising forwards, Tshwarelo, who is being touted as the new Zingawe Phakathi of the Birds following the departure of the lethal striker, described her stint with the national side as a wonderful experience which she will cherish for many years.

Although she has now graduated to U20s, Tshwarelo hopes the valuable knowledge gained during both training and in the actual game, will stand her in good stead as her team kicks off its third season of the Sasol Women’s League campaign with a tough opener against defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies on 3 April.

“The Brazilian ladies may be defending champions, but they too can be shocked and we’re in for a shocker of a match come Sunday. One of the things I learnt in the U17 stint is to always stick to rules and instructions and play as a team, and if we can do that, Sundowns are in for a miserable time,” Tshwarelo said.

She was brought in as a substitute in the 77th minute of the Nigerian leg on 12 March and said, “The coach told me how impressed she was with the impact I made in the game in that short space of time and that, given time and good nurturing, I could become a formidable striking force.”

Although beaten 6–0 in the first leg and eventually eliminated from the competition after a 1–0 loss at home on 26 March, Madala said there were valuable lessons learnt and knowledge gained which she hopes to put into practice for her domestic play.

“I may have not played in both legs, but the mere presence and training and different coaching styles all impacted on my footballing career,” added Madala, who picked up a knee injury and could not be risked for the game, hence, she was kept on the peripheries to watch and experience international competition.

Another Birds danger woman, Manamela, said she was happy to have been part of the team for both legs of the qualifier. “I hope to use the knowledge gained to improve my game in our domestic league fixtures.”