‘IT’S A BLOOMING HONOUR TO REPRESENT SA’

STRIKER KIRSTEN “Mbali” Nolan is a blooming flower and may go on to become one of South Africa’s finest women’s soccer strikers. The 17-year-old Grade 11 learner at St Stithians Girls College in Joburg is part of the Basetsana (national women’s Under-20s) squad who are hard at work preparing for the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Burundi on Saturday. Her teammates call her “Mbali” which means flower in Zulu, a nickname given to her by a former coach in 2015. “She gave me the nickname because she said I am not white,” recalled Nolan. “She said I am black on the inside, so she gave me the name ‘Mbali’. It was actually ‘Mbalenthle’, which means beautiful flower.” Nolan started playing soccer when she was five years old, developing a love of the game from her father, who was a good player. “My parents told me I started kicking a ball literally before I could walk,” she added. “Meeting new people, learning new languages and scoring (goals),” was Nolan’s simple response when asked what she enjoyed most about football. Juggling her high school career and football isn’t easy but she places a high prize on representing her country in the sport she loves. “It makes me feel honoured to play for this team. “I mean, after all the hard work you put in to be in this team, it should be an honours,” she smiles. Her message to the team’s next opponents is also simple: “Watch out Burundi, Basetsana is coming.”