Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Tournament gives Nabeelah an appetite for glory
NABEELAH Galant may be small in stature, but she lets the ball do all the talking on the field.
She was part of the South African Women’s under-17 team that finished in second place at the Cosafa Championships in Mauritius last month.
South Africa were in Group B, alongside the Seychelles, Botswana and Madagascar.
The girls in green and gold were on fire during the group stages, scoring a staggering 34 goals and conceding four. They set a new record for an international match in African football by demolishing the Seychelles 28-0 in their opening encounter.
To top it off, three players scored hat-tricks, which included Nabeelah, Jessica Wade and Sonika Mzingeli. Incredibly, Oyisa Marhazi and Tiffany Kortjie scored six goals each.
In the semi-final, South Africa beat Zambia 2-1 and went down against Uganda to the same scoreline in the final.
Nabeelah, from Mitchells Plain, said: “I had a good performance at the Cosafa Championships, but in football, there is always room for improvement. I was very impressed with my teammates and coach Simphiwe Dludlu, as we only had two weeks to prepare for this tournament.
“I was not used to the standard of football, but as the competition went on, things got easier. However, it gave me a hunger for football and thirst to better myself. Putting on the SA jersey and singing the national anthem for the first time was breathtaking and a heartfelt moment that brought tears to my eyes. It was an honour and a privilege to represent my country as it was one of my football dreams that came true,” said the midfield maestro,” added the Grade 10 pupil.
Nabeelah, a member of UCT Ladies FC, is a fan of Dutch footballer Lieke Martens, who plays for FC Barcelona. In 2017,Martens was named Fifa Women’s Player of the Year and Uefa Women’s Player of the Year.
Her mother Fazlin said she is proud of what her daughter has achieved.
“I always teach her to remain humble, sincere and grounded. She is an ordinary teenager, who is very down to earth. She enjoys dancing and listening to music,” she said.