VANDERBIJLPARK.- Mazibuko started to play soccer in the streets of Vanderbijlpark with her friends before her parents realised her potential and recommended her to a local development football club. Due to the lack of women development soccer teams in this region for her age group, she is playing with and against boys. She is the only girl in the team, but few can recognise that she is a girl because she possesses the same talent and skill as the boys she plays with, and against.
Mazibuko is very skilful and can dribble past her markers with her ‘magic touches’. She has a great first touch that even most professional players lack.
At the age of 11, there is no women’s soccer team that she can play for in the area because most of the ladies’ soccer teams don’t have this age group. As a result of this, she was forced to join development teams that consisted of boys. Speaking to Sedibeng Ster Sport, Precious Dhlamini, who discovered Mazibuko and is now VUT ladies soccer teams’ coach said that she started to juggle the ball with Mazibuko and realised that she has potential.
“I would juggle the ball with her and sometimes take her to NWU Vaal Ladies team training sessions but unfortunately, we don’t have this age in the team. I decided to approach her parents to take her to Nale Academy because I know they will take care of her football career like they did with me. “I must say this is our biggest challenge as women’s soccer teams. We don’t have development teams like your u/13’s or u/15’s in the area. This is something that we must start looking at if we want to discover new talent, at a young age. But I’m happy that she is in the right hands because this is the same development team that made me who I am today. I have no doubt that she is a future Banyana Banyana star.”
Former SAFA Technical Director Fran-Hilton Smith has promised to contact relevant women football structures to take Mazibuko’s football career further after Sedibeng Ster Sport made her aware of this young star.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster Sport, in the presence of her mother, Mazibuko said that her dream is to play for Banyana Banyana in the future. No doubt, Mazibuko has a bright future in South African women football if her current display is anything to go by.
She was outstanding when Nale Academy played against Mafikeng Academy from North West over the weekend.
