JVW player took part at the Rio Olympic Games
JVW midfielder Nompumelelo Nyandeni was part of the Banyana Banyana team that recently took part at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
JVW midfielder Nompumelelo Nyandeni was part of the Banyana Banyana team that recently took part at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Nompumelelo joined the JVW team in August 2014.
The team trains at the Bedfordview Football Club.
“I joined JVW because after coming back from playing in Russia, I wanted to play for a development team, where I could also enjoy my football and help younger players at the same time. I fell in love with the game at a young age when my brother used to take me along when he went to play at the fields,”said Nompumelelo.
After Banyana Banyana’s early exit at the Rio Games, she feels that women’s football does not receive as much support as their male counterparts.
“I feel that our performance in the group stages was really good. We competed well against top teams but unfortunately couldn’t get a goal that we so desperately deserved,” she said.
They were knocked out of the tournament, with one match to spare, after suffering a 2-0 loss to China at the Olympic Stadium in Rio.
“There is little support for women’s soccer and if a professional league is set up, more support will grow for the women’s game,”she said.
Despite coming home early, she said it was an honour being selected for the SA Olympic team. This was her second Olympic Games after participating in the London Olympics in 2012.
She believes that scoring was the team’s downfall.
“I think if we had managed to score a goal, the results and group standings would have been different. Our preparation was good and SAFA supported our programme throughout our preparations. But we need more and regular competitions against international opponents to be able to perform at the top level constantly.
“Through this experience I have learnt that if you are given the chance, you must capitalise on it , trust your teammates and play as a team,”said Nompumelelo.
Apart from her love for the game, she sees herself in business one day. She hopes that one day she will be an established businesswoman.
