The elderly ladies play amazing football

A soccer team of enthusiastic old ladies, who engage in training at least four times a week, are all ready to take on any old ladies’ team in Limpopo.

This became apparent when Limpopo Mirror spent some time with the ladies of Madombidzha Vhaaluwa FC on Tuesday morning.

“We are calling upon all ladies teams in Limpopo and beyond to consider inviting us for a friendly game,” said the team's captain, Ms Tshiwela Mudau. “We are a versatile team of fit ladies who exercise four times a week. We wake up at 05:00 and start practising from 06:00 to 07:30.”

She added that they had an experienced coach, Mr John Mukovhanama. They praised him for his amazing coaching skills, coupled with patience and determination. “We don't think we would have come this far without Vho-John Mukovhanama,” Mudau said. “We would like to thank him for the good work he is doing here with us. Not many people would dedicate their precious time to assisting the elderly at no cost.”

Madombidzha Vhaaluwa FC did not start as a soccer team, but as a group of old ladies who teamed together to do aerobics at the old building of Madombidzha Pre-school, just below Litshovhu Secondary School, in 2014. The purpose of aerobics was mainly to reduce the chances of being attacked by conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases associated with old age.

As time went by, they decided to use the pre-school's small ground for outdoor aerobics, which resulted in their playing soccer on that field. However, the former principal at Litshovhu Secondary School, Mr Thomas Mulaudzi, saw them one morning at the small ground by the pre-school's building and offered them the school's main soccer ground for their use.

“In due time, we became a strong team of ladies who are now popular in our area,” said Mudau. “When we first started playing soccer by the old pre-school, we had collected some plastic bags and rolled them together into a soccer ball – and that was our ball for all our first training sessions.”

A fellow resident who had just assumed the responsibilities of the team's manager, Mr Tshiila Ravhuhali, said that the ladies needed a lot of support from businesspeople. “When they have to play in other villages or distant areas, transport is always needed, and if some people are willing to assist in that regard, they are welcome,” he said.

Madombidzha Vhaaluwa FC can be reached through Ravhuhali on 076 576 5067.

Date:31 May 2019

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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