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Banyana keeper Andile Dlamini spreads her wings with debut album

Most goalkeepers are known for their colourful characters, and Banyana goalie Andile Dlamini is no exception.

While Dlamini's agility and shot-stopping skills are her outstanding features, the 25-year-old is blessed with another talent as a house music artist. She is on the verge of releasing a debut album under her stage name AndyD.

The Mamelodi Sundowns keeper, who hails from Phomolong section in Tembisa, records at the studio of Max Laka, the son of iconic Don Laka.

Though her uncles and aunts used to sing in church, Dlamini has her teammates to thank as it was through their encouragement in the dressing room that she discovered her aptitude for music.

"I have always been the one who leads the team in song and everyone told me how good I was at it," said Dlamini, whose heroics in goal helped Banyana to Cosafa Cup triumph in Zimbabwe a fortnight ago.

"I was also motivated by Dumi Masilela [the late Rhythm City actor] because he was a soccer player, a musician and an actor ... and he was from Tembisa. I'm blessed to have been given many talents, except that I'm not an actor.

"I do house music and I'm a great vocalist by the way. I write my own lyrics," she said proudly during our interview at Banyana's base in Bulawayo, just before the team's Cosafa Women's Championship final against Zimbabwe.

TimeOut got a sneak listening session on a demo audio clip that Dlamini brought to camp, and her Tamara Dey-like voice blurted out like that of a seasoned vocalist.

"My producer, DJ TonicHD from Tembisa, is busy fine-tuning the last bits and we'll soon release our album," revealed the 2016 Olympian.

The album, TonicHD featuring AndyD, is titled Take Me and it touches on a personal story of Dlamini, whose parents divorced when she was 16.

"I wrote that song because of how my mom was treated by my real dad. My stepfather came into the picture and took my mom away from the struggles she had in her relationship with my biological father.

"I've been with my stepfather for 10 years and he's been an amazing dad," she shared.

If she is not in the studio, Dlamini, who goes by the monicker Sticks, keeps goals for Sundowns in the Sasol League and coaches an under-15 girls side at King David School in Linksfield, Johannesburg - something she also plans to offer to her community in Tembisa.

For now, keep an eye on her new offering that will coincide with her celebration as the champion of southern Africa.

Other footballers-cum-musicians:

Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy collaborated with TKZee and their hit single Shibobo, which was a soundtrack for Bafana's 1998 World Cup campaign; still gets airplay to this day.

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