Young soccer player aims for Banyana Banyana spot
The 10-year-old soccer entusiast, Kabelo Mohetwa, from Seshego extension 1 loves playing soccer because she is playing a sport which is commonly deemed rough and difficult for girls.
POLOKWANE – “I started playing netball but then as time went on I realised that I do not enjoy the sport. I always watch soccer with my father on the weekends and one day we watched a game which was played by girls and I asked my father if I can also play soccer.
“He said that I can, and I only wanted to play soccer from that day on,” she explained.
The Gr 5 learner from Peakanyo Primary School saw a group of boys practicing in an open field in her neighborhood and she asked them if she could practice with them. To her surprise the coach agreed and she also joined the team.
“I was so excited that I went straight home to share the news with my father, who was also excited for me. My mother, father and sister played soccer in their time, and I also had this dream of playing soccer one day. I began to practice every week, with coach Levy Molokomme. It is fun to learn and I hope to one day be as good as my coach,” she added.
Coach Levy said in a interview with BONUS that Kabelo is a fast learner and has a lot of passion for the sport. “She plays middle field and has only ever played with boys.
Recently she had the supporters in awe at the Boy Mamabolo Annual Tournament with her skills. “Now I am getting a lot of requests from moms in the community to have their girls join the team. I guess they see how busy the sport is keeping these young ones, and even though we still lack a lot in terms of all the resources we need to enjoy a game of soccer, such as enough balls, soccer kits, training kits, soccer boots and well-maintained and safe grounds to play and practice on, the players are not discouraged at all, they still enjoy the game and play with everything they have,” he said.
Kabelo plays for Seshego Young Tigers (currently consisting of only three female players) and was recently been awarded with a trophy, medal and brand-new soccer kit for her outstanding performance on the field.
Her father says now she only needs soccer boots as she plays with her tekkies at this stage. He pleads with anyone willing to donate or sponsor her so that she can continue to strive to reach her goal to play for the national women’s soccer team Banyana Banyana. You can contact him on 082 626 1625.
