Local gogos to face French grannies during Fifa Women’s World Cup
Selected grannies from Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Western Cape will form part of Vakhegula Vakhegula's team to France.
Two of Mpumalanga’s gogos have been selected by the South African Elderly Football Association (SAEFA) to be part of the South African gogos team to face French grannies during the Fifa Women’s World Cup, which starts next week Wednesday.
Gogo Innah Ngomane (62) of Mpakeni Trust and Gogo Girly Mndawe (69) from Mangweni could not contain their excitement of going overseas for the first time.
Gogo Innah has been a striker for her team Mpakeni Gogos since she joined in 2010.
“Being part of this active gogos team keeps me young and healthy, so I don’t suffer any chronic illness like most gogos of my age. In preparation for the overseas game I walk about 10 kilometres daily and attend practices with my team,” she said.
The grandmother to 10 grandchildren said she is so thrilled to board an aeroplane for the first time in her life. Although she had difficulties in raising the money for her visa and transport fees to attend the selection games on April 10, she tried her best to go there.
“I used savings from my mobile spaza, selling kotas and chips to learners, and requested donations from different stakeholders in order to not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said.
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Gogo Girly, on the other hand, said, “Originally I am 78 years, but my ID says I am 69. It’s only by God’s power that I am still this energetic at my age. I am so excited to be part of the gogos going to France.
“I am doing my best to represent the province well,” she said. She added that her visa fees were paid for by good Samaritans from her area.
Apart from playing soccer for her team at Mangweni, she also encourages other gogos to boost their immune systems.
Katekani Mkhavele, SAEFA coordinator, said the gogos trip comes after SAEFA was invited to bring the famous South African gogos team, Vakhegula Vakhegula, to play a friendly game against French grannies during the Fifa Women’s World Cup.
“We extended an invitation to grannies across the country. We have been travelling from province to province scouting for the best soccer grannies,” she said.
She said that selected grannies from Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Western Cape will form part of Vhagekula Vhakegula’s team to France. The grannies will depart on June 10 and are expected back in the country on June 22.
“They will be in Paris at Parc Des Princes and will watch the Banyana Banyana vs China game on June 13. In the second week they will travel to St Etienne, where they will play a friendly game against the French grannies and also watch other soccer games at the famous Le Chaudron Stadium,” she added.
Mkhavele requests locals to assist the two grannies in terms of costs for their visa applications, travel insurance and transport to Johannesburg and back to their residential areas. Call Gogo Innah Ngomane on 082-429-5034 and Gogo Girly Mndawe on 076-107-7248. Alternatively Regina “Mama Fish” Mokoena, the vice-chairperson of the South African Football Association on 082-921-5896 or Aleta Khumalo on 072-847-2207.
