Lindelani Ladies are one of the main candidates to win the 2022 Sasol League National Championship, and for them to have a chance of clinching the title their coach Nkosinathi Vilakazi is urging the team to put behind the difficult circumstances they come from.
Many of the girls who are camping in Polokwane, Limpopo, to take part in the national champs, come from underprivileged backgrounds. For them, playing soccer is an escape from their harsh reality and a chance to change their lives around.
The coaches play a huge role in their lives, offering a safe space and sense of purpose for the young women. Before they get to earn the the players trust, the coaches must get to know the human and understand their backgrounds, and in most instances they find that the players are faced with difficult life situations.
“Sasol has changed the lives of these girls, even though they have not changed completely,” said Vilakazi.
“Many of their backgrounds are not good, the majority don’t have parents, and for others the situation at home is not good.
“When you have a player on the ground, chances are their background is damaged, so first you have to find out about it and understand it before expecting them to deliver on the pitch,” he said.
Vilakazi and his charges also have to be strong and deal with football administrators disregarding them.
“The way things happened for us to be here, not satisfying. We’ll try as management to calm them down so they can remember they are in the tournament they have always wanted to be part of.”
Despite the odds they face, the Lindelani Ladies are determined to get promotion to the Hollywoodbets Super League. They began their bid with a 6-0 win over Royal Wizards yesterday at the Old Peter Mokaba to go top of Group C.
“It’s every coach and player’s dream to win the championship and the cherry on top is to play in the Hollywoodbets Super League, which everyone wishes to play in. As a team we have prepared well, even though we did not well, we didn’t play the way we wanted to,” said Vilakazi.
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Coach Vilakazi bolsters confidence of Lindelani as they seek promotion
Team leads pack to win national championship in Polokwane
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Lindelani Ladies are one of the main candidates to win the 2022 Sasol League National Championship, and for them to have a chance of clinching the title their coach Nkosinathi Vilakazi is urging the team to put behind the difficult circumstances they come from.
Many of the girls who are camping in Polokwane, Limpopo, to take part in the national champs, come from underprivileged backgrounds. For them, playing soccer is an escape from their harsh reality and a chance to change their lives around.
The coaches play a huge role in their lives, offering a safe space and sense of purpose for the young women. Before they get to earn the the players trust, the coaches must get to know the human and understand their backgrounds, and in most instances they find that the players are faced with difficult life situations.
“Sasol has changed the lives of these girls, even though they have not changed completely,” said Vilakazi.
“Many of their backgrounds are not good, the majority don’t have parents, and for others the situation at home is not good.
“When you have a player on the ground, chances are their background is damaged, so first you have to find out about it and understand it before expecting them to deliver on the pitch,” he said.
Vilakazi and his charges also have to be strong and deal with football administrators disregarding them.
“The way things happened for us to be here, not satisfying. We’ll try as management to calm them down so they can remember they are in the tournament they have always wanted to be part of.”
Despite the odds they face, the Lindelani Ladies are determined to get promotion to the Hollywoodbets Super League. They began their bid with a 6-0 win over Royal Wizards yesterday at the Old Peter Mokaba to go top of Group C.
“It’s every coach and player’s dream to win the championship and the cherry on top is to play in the Hollywoodbets Super League, which everyone wishes to play in. As a team we have prepared well, even though we did not well, we didn’t play the way we wanted to,” said Vilakazi.
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