POLOKWANE – While playing in the national university play-offs with the UL female soccer team this year, something Kobo would describe as shocking and unexpected happened, she was selected as a call-up player and now receives a monthly training schedule from the Banyana Banyana coaches.
The interim Banyana Banyana Head Coach, Desiree Ellis invited 34 players to a five-day selection training camp in July and Molatelo was the only new face who had been picked out to participate.
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This particular camp, according to Desiree, was organised to prepare the Banyana team for the regional competition, ensuring that everyone would be on par.
“We wanted to make sure that the players were fit and understood what was really expected of them. The main idea was to have a core group,” she added.
Molatelo described this inclusion as nothing short of life-changing. “It has been a dream come true to play with the national team and I am going to make UL and the whole province very proud one day.”
The 21-year-old from Moletjie started playing street soccer at the age of six and at the age of 15, tried her luck in the Banyana Banyana u/17 squad trials but was unsuccessful in this attempt.
She did however choose to stay focused on her goals, always keeping this in the back of her mind.
This led to her pursuing her dreams, playing soccer throughout her high school career and in her current academic institution where she was dubbed the player of the tournament in the Sasol Provincial League in 2016, with this achievement, she earned herself the title of Limpopo’s Diski Queen.
She also took part in the University Sport South Africa (USSA) games in 2017 and describes this as one of the highlights of her soccer career.
She spends her holidays on the soccer field making use of the university’s facilities to develop her talent and is very appreciative of the university’s support in helping her to pursue her dreams and to balance her studies.
With Portia Modise as her role model, Kobo not only wants to learn a few traits from her but is also set on surpassing Modise’s record of netting a 100 goals.
Molatelo is now looking forward to play for the Banyana Banyana team, eagerly awaiting that phone call.
