UJ and Banyana Banyana soccer star’s incredible 2019
AUCKLAND PARK – A year of goals being achieved for this UJ soccer star.
One of the goals Amanda Mthandi set for herself was to present the country on the international stage. The year 2019 was the year this University of Johannesburg (UJ) student achieved this feat in memorable fashion when she turned out for Banyana Banyana in the women’s world cup in France.
Mthandi stated, “The chance to play for South Africa made me hungry to achieve more. I wanted to improve myself in the sport both on and off the field, and after we qualified last year for the world cup my goal was to make the Banyana Banyana squad.”
She knew that in order to achieve such she would need to push through all the upcoming challenges of her journey. “To achieve that I knew I needed to always push myself to do better no matter what the situation was, and to always give 100 per cent.”
Not only did this result in her featuring in the world cup but she is also in the University Sport South Africa squad for the World Student Games and won her first gold medal for Banyana in the Cosafa Cup.
Mthandi was delighted to be recognised as UJ’s Sportswoman of the Year, which she said was the cherry on top for her year of success. “Being named Sportswoman of the Year means a lot because it shows that all the hard work I’ve put in this year has paid off, it really has been a great year for me.”
The 23-year-old striker paid tribute to a number of role players who helped her get this far. Mthandi said, “I would like to mention my friend Liphiwe Nxasana, who has always been there to support me. She constantly motivates and pushes me to do well.”
She also thanked the UJ sports scientists for helping her improve her game and avoid injuries.
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