Football has already taken
11-year old Asanda Mkiele to places he has never been before, and it’s going to
get even better. Asanda is a member of the Sinamuva Public Primary School
football team that was crowned the Danone Nations Cup South Africa champions in
June and the reward is a trip to Warsaw, Poland to participate in the 2012
Danone Nations Cup World Finals, along with 39 other countries.
When Sinamuva Public Primary, from Imbali Township in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal won the Danone Nations Cup KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Final, they qualified to play in the National Finals in Johannesburg and for Asanda, like most of his team mates, that was the first time he had been out of Imbali.
“I was really scared. I was
leaving home for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect from the other
kids we would be playing against, and from the place itself,” he said.
Asanda is a centre-back who
describes himself as being able to head the ball well and who is strong in
defence and good at distributing and clearing the ball.
He was born into a family of
four and lives with his grandmother, Thandazo Mkiele, who is a pensioner. His
mother died two years ago and his father left immediately afterwards and they
haven’t seen him since.
Asanda has dreams of becoming
a doctor or a social worker one day and of making a difference in his
community. “My grandmother motivates me,” he said. “She is very strong and has
always told me to persevere, no matter how hard things are.”
Sinamuva Public Primary
Schools’ journey in the Danone Nations Cup so far has not been easy, but it has
been a dream come true, says Asanda. “Our facilities are not good and the
opposition in the district and provincial playoffs were tough. But hard
work and determination saw us through. What this has taught me is that
dreams are never out of reach and that football can unite kids. I am proud of
myself and my team mates.”
Asanda says that just winning
this tournament has put his school on the map and he has been impressed with
the support they have received from the local Department of Education and
Department of Sport. “Everyone is helping us prepare as best as
possible. I have never travelled anywhere far from Imbali. Football took
us to Jo’burg, and now we are going to Poland. I can’t wait,” he said.
Danone Nations Cup South
Africa ambassador, Neil Tovey, will be in Jo’burg to talk to the kids before
they leave. “My message to them will be to enjoy every moment and just go
out there and do your best. It is not about winning, but about learning
and I can bet these kids will pick up some valuable football tips from other
countries.”
Here are some pictures from last year Danone Nations Cup World Finals Farewell.
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