Komani soccer star to play professionally

Talented right winger Olona Thompson, right, has joined the University of Fort Hare as their new signing.

UFH has been promoted to the Hollywoodbets Super League, which is the highest division in SA women’s football.

Thompson, who has a twin brother, was born in Machini in Komani. She grew up in Mangweni village in Qoqodala, where she attended school at Qoqodala Primary School and Nzimankulu Senior Secondary.

She started playing football at Walter Sisulu University’s Queenstown campus, while doing her Bachelor of Education Foundation Phase qualification.

“My residence was close to the field so I used to go there when I was bored to watch football and that’s when I started to love football,” she said.

Her involvement as a player started after she was noticed by Mvo Sinethemba while she was playing netball as a centre. “He introduced me to women’s football at WSU to play as a right winger because I had pace. I’m quick to learn, it was easy for me,” she said.

Her first match in 2022, after only one week’s training, was against Cacadu’s Cumakala FC.

“In October 2022, WSU held trials at all its campuses for the University Sport SA [USSA] games in Mpumalanga, from December 5 to 9. I was selected for Team B then we were promoted to Stream A,” said Thompson, who also plays rugby, softball and netball, and does athletics and aerobics.

Last year, she was selected during trials among 25 WSU players who took part in the USSA games at the University of Western Cape in December. While on holiday, she spotted a UFH post advertising their trials, and only 29 players, including Thompson, were selected from 70 hopefuls.

She felt “overwhelmed” to be given a chance to play in the Hollywoodbets Super League, she said.

Thompson also assisted coaching Under 14 boys and girls football in Komani while doing her practicals at Mpendulo Public Primary.

“I also served as a manager/ assistant coach of WSU men’s Queenstown campus. The last time we played a TOSS tournament at Ntabethemba and won,” she said.

She was also an assistant coach for the Chris Hani women’s U19 squad that took part in the provincial trials in July last year. Selected players represented the province in Germany in October.