Rebonwe Primary School’s girls soccer team ready to fly high
The girls will leave on October 7, and the games will take place in Barcelona between October 10 and October 12
Ivory Park-based Rebonwe Primary School’s girls soccer team is ready to jet off to Spain, Barcelona, for the Danone Nations World Cup finals.
The girls will leave on October 7, and the games will take place in Barcelona between October 10 and October 12.
Also travelling with the team will be Amanda Dlamini, the former Banyana Banyana captain. She will be with the girls every step of the way, encouraging them, giving advice, as well as celebrating and motivating them.
“Barcelona is symbolic as it was in this city in 1919 that Isaac Carasso created the first Danone yoghurt with the aim of improving one’s health,” commented Masi Mkhize, communications manager for Danone Southern Africa.
“We are combining Danone’s Centenary celebrations and the 20th edition of the world finals in a bumper edition this year. It also coincides with our new brand positioning and purpose, One Planet One Health, which reflects our belief that the health of humankind and that of the planet are interlinked and both need to be protected and nurtured.
“Through the Danone Nations Cup, we are contributing to bringing this vision to life by promoting the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Further, we are encouraging our young athletes to ‘Play Football, Change the Game’, which is a rallying message to unite children, irrespective of their backgrounds and cultures, and to encourage them to become catalysts for positive change,” said Mkhize.
This primary school is the first girls team from South Africa to compete in the world finals. The Danone Nations Cup girl’s world final will comprise eight countries. England and South Africa are the only countries to be sending a school team.
Lilian Mabasa, the team’s coach, said they are ready for the challenge.
“I can already see that their confidence has improved. From being laughed at for taking up soccer they are now respected, and the entire school is making them feel very special. That’s good for morale, but they must also realise that competing in the world finals is very different from playing at home,” said Mabasa.
