Soccer magic as Nomsa plays for the love of the game

Every day people are born with various mental and physical disabilities. From that day forward, they must learn to cope with their disability, often a daily struggle to fit in with the hustle and bustle of modern society.

Nomsa Mbuyisa, a 15-year-old girl from Madadeni, has learned not only to live with her disabilty, but to play and thrive despite of it.

Nomsa is an avid soccer player, with a profound love for the game and the only thing that sets her apart from her teammates, is the fact that she only has one leg.

The shy, but passionate young girl was born with a malformed leg, as in utero her umbilical cord had wrapped around her leg, just below the knee. Over time, three small toes had grown, which had made it painful to wear a prosthesis.

“When she arrived here at Busy Bee Primary School, she had a prosthetic limb that the state hospital had provided,” said Elizia Raubenheimer, principal of Busy Bee. “One day, Nomsa was in Grade 5 at the time, I noticed that she was walking with crutches, and that was when I found out that her leg had been hurting her. I immediately decided that something had to be done.”

With the help of two sponsors, Mrs Raubenheimer was able to secure the funds and the doctor to help Nomsa.

“They had to amputate the little toes in order for the new prosthesis to fit properly,” said Mrs Raubenheimer. “I remember seeing her skipping in the hallway at school not long after she got her new leg. I could not help but cry.”

Last year, Jacky Horn, school counsellor at Tugela Pre-Vocational School, realised that Nomsa’s prosthetic leg had become too small. Not very long after she had made some phone calls, an anonymous sponsor came forward with the funds for a new leg.

Today, Nomsa is able to walk and run without pain. “She has nearly run me over quite a few times,” laughed Ms Horn. “Whenever she would nearly run into me, I would take her by the shoulders and say, ‘Nomsa, no running in the hallways, you must slow down!’”

Asked why she loved soccer so much, Nomsa simply said that it was something she had always loved. “I play with the boys in the township,” she said. “At the beginning of this year, I decided that I wanted to play soccer for my school.”

According to Nomsa, everyone was doubtful, but she was convinced that if she could play with the rough and tough boys back home, she could surely play with other girls at school.

The Tugela U/15 girls soccer team is so far undefeated this year, with great wins over almost every school in Newcastle. Her teammates are all very proud and fiercely protective of her.

“My position is left wing,” said Nomsa. “I am very fast and I can get to the ball quickly. My teammates look after me, no one teases me any more.”

The dynamics of soccer require such that a left winger would undoubtedly need to use their left foot on occasion. Nomsa has adapted her style, as she can only kick with her right leg.

“She has so much spirit,” said Ms Horn. “It is a huge achievement for her to be able to play at all, but on top of everything, she has even scored two goals.”

Nomsa could not imagine anything else. She wants to play soccer, even though a career in hairdressing also holds some promise. “I want to play for Banyana-Banyana one day!” she said,

For Ms Horn, who is a very hard working and selfless person, the fact that some able-bodied teenagers have no interest in sport is saddening. “Look at her. She wakes up every morning with only one leg. But she doesn’t let it get to her. She gets up and is excited for the new day,” said Ms Horn.

“I love playing soccer, it is what I want to do,” said Nomsa, a shy smile lighting up her features, her motivation and passion indicative of a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field for many years to come.