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Street names to remind you of the beautiful game

SOCCER PASSION: Streets in Alexandra township Extension 7 depict a soccer catalogue. 19/01/2009. © Sowetan. Pic. Antonio Muchave.
SOCCER PASSION: Streets in Alexandra township Extension 7 depict a soccer catalogue. 19/01/2009. © Sowetan. Pic. Antonio Muchave.

Vusi Ndlovu

Vusi Ndlovu

One would be excused for assuming that Alexandra Extension 7 was the soccer village of a football club.

This RDP housing section has street names that virtually cover the soccer vocabulary.

Football terms such as off-side, goalie, goalkeeper, sweeper, dribbler, shibobo, league, penalty, score, striker, defender, midfielder, tsamaya and corner Kick adorn the streets.

Surprisingly, this small area, which was established in 2006, has no soccer field. Local teams practise outside the area. But the residents still love the names.

Sydney Makelana, who lives in Shibobo Street, said yesterday that he loved the idea because it motivated young soccer players to be dedicated to the game.

Vusi Mahlobo, who lives on the corner of Dribbler and Soccer streets, said: "For a change the streets were not named after politicians. They are named after the game that people love."

Alex resident and former Kaizer Chiefs star Isaac "Shakes" Kungwane said: "Giving streets such names is fun and humorous."

But ward councillor William Shuene was unhappy, saying he was in talks with other councillors about the street names.

He said the streets were named by the Alexandra Renewal Project, who developed the area.

Attempts to get comment from the project's director, Julian Baskin, were unsuccessful.

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