Tsakani’s goal in life is set on goals
She realised that soccer teaches discipline and teamwork, where aspiring footballers can make a good career out of it.
An erstwhile athlete has taken it upon herself to develop soccer to greater heights.
Matome Maila spoke to Tsakani Hlungwani (41), owner and managing director of the SAB League team, Mariveni United.
The team is based in her home village of Mariveni, just outside Nkowankowa Township.
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Since taking over the running of the team five years ago, Hlungwani has set out to run it in a more professional manner.
It came as no surprise when Mariveni United reached the last 32 of the Nedbank Cup, two years in a row, competing with the likes of Eastern Cape ABC Motsepe side, EC Bees and the Premier Soccer League Champions, Mamelodi Sundowns. As former netball and soccer player who also participated actively in athletics, Hlungwani says she always had love for soccer.
“I used to follow soccer from a young age. I would attend matches of my local teams and school team,” said Hlangwani.
She played for Limpopo SASSU Soccer Team in 1998 and 1999 and represented the former Gazankulu Homeland and region five in athletics.
“I also played for Tuks Football Club and I sometimes captained the team,” she said.
Hlungwani was the team manager of Tuks Ladies Soccer team for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons and later became a team manager and a programme manager for the senior ladies soccer team at the University of Pretoria. “When my uncle asked me to help him run the team, I didn’t hesitate, I just jumped in and never looked back.
My mother and elder sister didn’t understand and didn’t support the idea but now they are fully behind the team,” she said.
She says her friends support and encourag her a lot.
She realised that soccer teaches discipline and teamwork, where aspiring footballers can make a good career out of it.
She plans to build a big academy for the team, where up and coming players will be trained and groomed.
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She also would like the team to have its own stadium.
Ultimately she would like to have a professional team from this area competing in Premier Soccer and have local players playing for the national teams in u/17, u/20, u/23 and senior team divisions.
A lawyer by profession, Hlungwani studied sport management and also has a certificate in sports law.
While working at Road Accident Fund, Hlungwani was a member of the athletic and netball teams at the Pretoria branch level and national level.
When her playing days were over, she became secretary, organiser and the chairperson of sports.
She volunteered at the 2009 Confederation Cup held in South Africa, British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa (2009), the 2009 and 2011 Vodacom Challenge, ICC Champions Trophy 2009 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa.
