VOLCANO Ladies’ Football Club goalkeeper, Siyanda Ngaphi, has thanked her coaches for developing her to be a top player.
The 14-year-old said that, initially, she started playing football after she joined her older brother and his friends playing on the streets of Motherwell.
Siyanda also joined Enqileni Primary School’s girls’ soccer team, in Motherwell, in 2017.
She said, “My school soccer coach, Themba Matiso, supported me a lot by equipping me with football basic skills. He motivated and encouraged me to play football. In fact, he played a significant role in developing my football career. He was like our parent.
“I remember when our school team became finalists during the Motherwell Schools Spur Masidlale Tournament in 2018.
“My coach, Matiso, was very patient to us and I worked my socks off. That was a start of good things for myself in football.”
Ngaphi started attending Soqhayisa Senior Secondary School in Motherwell NU 9 in 2019, where she also played soccer. She said that her two coaches also encouraged and motivated her to take sport seriously.
She mentioned that she met six players of Volcano LFC and she said that her friend informed her about Volcano LFC.
“I combined well with Volcano LFC players in our school team. I decided to join Volcano LFC. The following day, Volcano LFC head coach and chairperson, Mzuvukile Khesi told my mother that he was interested in my services. My mother gave Khesi the green light so that I could join his club.”
Ngaphi said that she would like to see herself playing in the topflight football but she vowed to work very hard. “My coach told me the way to play in a top-flight football, was to practise and practise. I am practising and working very hard because I want to fulfil my dream,” said Ngaphi.
On November 14, this year, Ngaphi was selected as a goalkeeper for the MOFA U/15 team that played in the COSAFA Cup Legacy Tournament, in Motherwell. She won a trophy as the best goalkeeper of the tournament, which MOFA won.
Her mother, Lindeka Ngaphi, said, “I am very happy that my daughter takes part in sport. She is very serious about sport.
“Sport helps our children not to be involved in criminal activities. I also played soccer as a striker. I have a responsibility of supporting Siyanda and other parents must do so, too.”
