FORGET what you were told, your footballing career actually begins at 35. For five local residents, this much is true. They believe that age should prove no barrier for anybody wanting to enjoy playing the beautiful game.
Senzo Ntshangase (42), manager and player of the RE Sporting oversees his team’s progress in the Hollywoodbets Masters Soccer League.
“It’s easy to manage these guys because they are all professionals. They all have day jobs so it really isn’t a problem when it comes to coaching them. We are like a brotherhood here. For us our life really begins at 35. To be in the masters league you have to be over the age of 35. We train four days a week and play our matches on Sunday.
“The idea behind the league which begun a few years ago, is about keeping up the interests of players and keeping them fit, it’s is a good thing for people aged 430 plus because not everybody wants to go to the gym at that age. With football, you do a lot of running around, so you end up with a full body workout in a short space of time,” he said.
His fellow teammate, Sipho ‘Ntshebe’ Kula, said the league was founded by ex-professionals.
“It’s still very competitive as the league was founded by ex-pros. The standards are high and for me it’s a great way to keep fit and socialise. We like to have fun but we are also serious when we need to be. We would love to see more guys join, our team trains at the Blackburn Sports grounds. The R and E in our team name stands for Redhill and Effingham but we cater for players in the Durban North area,” he said.
- If you would like to get involved, contact Senzo on 083 366 6388.
