“Excited but also a little scared.” That’s how four up-and-coming young Cape Town women footballers describe their feelings as they jet off to the United States today (Thursday, 19 September 2019to pursue both their education and sporting careers.
South African Under 20 and Under 17 sensational winger Ember Edwards and rising star central midfielder Nwabisa Pinky Goba, together with their RV United teammates Thina “Thiyoyo” Ganto and Kuhle “Bubbles” Madlokazi, have been accepted at High Mowing School.
The four have been offered scholarships to complete their high school education across the Atlantic Ocean in Wilton, New Hampshire, and will hone their football with Black Rock FC.
That makes at least six Cape Town women footballers to move to the US in just the past two months, following the Maties FC duo of Cassidy Arendse (Angeline College) and Isabelle Bertossi, who left for the States in August.
The Kensington-born Edwards and Goba, who hails from Harare in Khayelitsha, played for the RV United senior team in the Sasol League Western Cape and bid farewell to local football in style last Saturday when they terrorized Maties FC in their team’s 10-1 win. Ganto, a solid defender, and striker Madlokazi were in the junior team.
The four are excited about the opportunity, but naturally have a few mixed feelings on their long journey.
“I’m so excited but scared at the same time, because I will be far away from my family for a long time alone in a country that I don’t know anyone,” says Goba, who was doing Grade 11 at Spine Road High School in Mitchell’s Plain. “I don’t know what is awaiting me in America. But the only way to find out is to go there.”
For Madlokazi, who was doing Grade 8 at Mondale High School, also in Mitchells Plain, their move abroad is further testimony that there are opportunities for young women footballers beyond being selected by national teams.
“We tend to be discouraged when we don’t get call-ups to national teams. But I want other players to know: everything happens at its own time,” she says. “They must be patient and keep on working hard. And they must put education first, because women sport doesn’t really pay that much – and good education is its own reward.”
