MR. SAFE HANDS:
Jody did it for late dad
ELEVEN days after Jody February’s 19th birthday in May, death knocked on the door of the family and took the most important man in the young goalkeeper’s life.
It has been a difficult year for the family after the death of their father, but the Ajax Cape Town player gave his mother and sister reason to smile again with the performance of his life for the national Under-23 team in Senegal last weekend.
Four penalty saves by February in the third-place play-off against hosts Senegal in the Caf Under-23 Championship, including one in regulation time, helped book a spot at next year’s Rio Olympic Games.
His favourite subject at school was history and he will go into the books for inspiring SA to Olympics qualification. They join Banyana Banyana, who qualified earlier.
February said that whenever he faced a Senegalese penalty taker he thought of his father.
“It has been a difficult year for my family. My birthday was on May 12 and he passed away on the 23rd. It hit me hard. His heart was enlarged and it was found late,” he said.
“I was overseas [in Holland] at the time with the Ajax reserve team. I had to fly back with a heavy heart knowing I was not there when my father passed on.”
He added: “I am happy that my success [in Senegal] made my family smile again. I was telling my mother after that game that I felt he [daddy] was there with me in the game.
“He was the one who was shouting at the top of his voice for me when he came to watch my matches. So I dedicated my performance to him.
“People say I am a penalty specialist but sometimes it’s about what happens on the day. Rio was my motivation and I am happy that we qualified.”
February — who lives with his mother and sister in Strandfontein, Western Cape — started four of South Africa’s five matches in Senegal and was delighted to get game time.
He conceded four goals in the tournament, but was still pleased with his performances and is hoping to shine at the Olympics next year.
“It was good experience for me as a teenager. I cherished the game time the most because I have not been playing at my club. Going to the Olympics will be good exposure because I want to play overseas.”
February, who describes himself as a jolly and energetic person, joined the Urban Warriors as a 10year-old and has come through the ranks (Under-11, 13, 15, 17 and the reserve team) at the club before getting promoted to the first team last season.
Now back at Ikamva, the home of Ajax, he will continue to battle it out for a spot in the starting lineup with Finnish goalkeeper Annsi Jaakkola and Brandon Petersen, who recently returned from a long-term injury.
“The competition in the goalkeeping department is healthy,” he said.
❛ Going to the Games will be good exposure because I want to play overseas