THE adage "if you are good enough, you are old enough" applies when it comes to the mesmerising Cape Town Roses twins Noxolo and Sinoxolo Cesane.

The 14-year-old attacking midfielders from Gugulethu have not started a game for their club in their two Sasol League National Championship matches, where they dispatched Coastal Ladies 5-2 and Royal Wizards 16-0.

While they were mere participants in the second game when they watched Nocawa Skiti, Nandipha Booi and Sisanda Vukapi help themselves to the buffet that was the Royal Wizards, their impact was tangible as the tempo of the matches sped up and the goals flowed when they came on.

Roses coach Xolile Madikane is aware of the talent he has in the twins but also knows that he has unearthed diamonds that will still need a fair bit of polishing.

Not even Port Elizabeth's strong winds could blow their small frames over, even though they will face sterner tests in the play-off rounds.

Madikane, who teaches at Fezeka High School in Gugulethu, discovered the pair while they were still at Bonga Primary School before moving to Lwandle Primary School and immediately acquired them for Cape Town Roses.

"They still have a long way to go but I think in the next two to three years, they will be a force to be reckoned with," Madikane said.

Sinoxolo said her twin was the better footballer but said she enjoyed playing with her.

They have high hopes for their footballing careers, but their immediate goal is to get their matric certificates. They are in Grade 8 at Fezeka High School.

"Unlike my sisters, to whom football came naturally, I first just watched when the other kids played but then I decided to join in and see what this football thing is all about . I really started to enjoy it," Sinoxolo said.

Noxolo said: "Playing football, especially against guys, was never easy because they were rough, but I played more and got used to it."

lTshwaku is in Port Elizabeth, courtesy of Sasol