The football pitch is my happy place

The name is Amanda 'Speedy' Mthandi, former University of Johannesburg Ladies player. She has recently signed a contract with Deportivo Badajoz and can be positioned as a striker or winger. Amanda started playing football at the age of 6 where she joined the Orlando Pirates apprentice academy until the age of 12. She was introduced to football by her late cousin, initially she wanted to be a goalkeeper but her cousin said that she would make an even greater player in the field. She has played for Orlando Pirates apprentice academy, Orlando Chelsea SAFA Soweto (which was an all boys team), Croesus ladies which was playing in the SASOL League and University of Johannesburg(UJ) to date. Mthandi said that her biggest football achievement to date was going to the World Cup in France. She doesn't take that opportunity for granted until this point as it has allowed her to play against the best nations in the world and so she's grateful for that experience. Amanda has been in between coaches as she was playing full time with UJ and the national team, she was asked how does she best adapt to different coaching styles in her two respective trainings, she replied: "I take instructions from the coach and always make sure that I ask questions if there's anything I don't understand. I also watch post match videos to get a better understanding.” Mthandi has been playing football for most part of her life, when asked what football means to her, her heartfelt response was, “football means so much to me, it's more than just a game. It's a sport that if taken serious and treated as more than just a hobby, then an individual can use it to change their lives irregardless of the background they come from, myself included. When I'm on the football pitch it's where I feel free and all worries disappear. It's my happy place.” Most footballers have their fair share of challenges, most of them are either pushed on the verge of ending their football career or end up doing so, Amanda shares her story of how she almost quit the game, “it all happened in 2018, I got a national call up but didn't make the squad then I started questioning myself if I'm good enough and if football is really meant for me. But it was through the support of my friends that I was able to keep my head up and stopped being hard on myself. I mean this was my very first national call up for the senior team and that alone qualifies as an achievement. This forced me to go back to the drawing board, to figure out what can I do to become better and I started training twice a day and my results started paying off in the USSA tournament where I received an award for top goal scorer of the tournament. Later on, I received another call up, so what was different about this time was that mentally and physically I was prepared for the trials. I made the cut for the sqaud that was playing AFCON, scored my first goal in the second game of the tournament, since then I never looked back. I got an opportunity to represent my country in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, I honestly feel like the whole process was just a test from God, a test of patience and understanding the importance of working hard with excellence to reach the goals that I've set for myself." Amanda believes that women in football are faced with a lot of challenges that still need to be ironed out and few of those are remuneration, not having a lot of sponsors in our women's league and not having a professional league. These issues remain some of the discouraging factors for more women to join the sport. Mthandi tells us how she feels about signing an international contract, “I feel like everything is just starting to sink in now. I can't wait to start this new journey of my career. I just want to make the most of it, to learn and grow as a footballer but mostly have fun and enjoy myself in the process" she said. Amanda was asked where does she see herself in the next 5 years, she said, "I see myself playing in one of the big clubs in Europe, being a brand and giving back to the community. In the long run, I want to have coaching clinics for young boys and girls in primary schools that are based in Orlando east, as well as after-school programs for young girls that love and enjoy participating in sports." Editor : Nomvula Kgoale IG: @NomvulaK_Words Facebook : Nomvula Kgoale