GOING FOR GOAL(D)

As she heads for Banyana, Regirl Ngobeni joins a spate of UWC football stars before her

By Buntu Gotywa | Photography: Skhu Nkomphela

Almost all young lads who love football dream of being the ones banging in the goals for their teams as the outfield players seemingly — particularly attackers — get more recognition on the pitch.

In fact, some of the best keepers in the game started their football journeys as outfield players before converting to the goalposts. Our very own Itumeleng Khune is said to have started as a striker before going on to establish himself as one of the best goalkeepers to ever come out of South Africa.

And 25-year-old shotstopper, Regirl Ngobeni, is no exception as she preferred the upfront and wing positions when she first began playing football. The Bachelor of Education student could have been lost to the beautiful game had she not been converted by her former coach Julius Mandlazi to goalkeeping duties during her time with Seven Stars after the club goalie left. She was totally against the idea of keeping goal that it took the intervention of her mother to let her know that the coach knows best.

Clearly, Mandlazi knew what he was doing as Ngobeni was recently selected to the Banyana Banyana squad set to face the Netherlands in early August.

Unfortunately, the clash was cancelled due to restrictions related to COVID-19 but, be that as it may, it took nothing away from Ngobeni as her name is expected to be among the first when Banyana are back in action.

“We had a big fight as I never wanted to be the goalie and I told him [the coach] that I was going to stop playing for his team if he insisted on converting me,” she says.

“I completely stopped playing until the coach came to speak to my mom who made sure I went back to play the position I was given.”

In fact, it didn’t take her long before she became part of the national setup, starting out in the u17 squad. Before the senior call-up, she had also been part of the national u20 side. Having spent time in the junior national teams, she figured goalkeeping duties really was where she belonged and there was no looking back as her gloves had taken her to a level she had never been before.

Her safe hands got her the moniker of the female version of Khune.

The national team call-up did not come as a surprise for her but knowing the level of competition she will be up against, she knows she has to constantly push to improve her game. “It’s been a long time coming and now that I’ve made the senior team, I want to remain here for a long time.

“I had mixed emotions and was all over the place when I got the opportunity. It’s something I have always looked forward to and something I’ve been waiting for, and I am looking forward to having a permanent spot. I do not want this to be a once-off thing,” she says determinedly.

The call-up came on the heels of a stellar season she and her UWC women’s teammates were having. The Mamelodi-born goalie led UWC to second in the HollywoodBets Super League, winning seven of the 12 games and only trailing leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, by two points.

“The season has been going very well for us and I believe we have a team that is capable of challenging for the title,” says Ngobeni.

The UWC side is, as she puts it, a force to be reckoned with as they boast a number of players with international experience. With the likes of Thembi Kgatlana having plied their trade for the same side, the current crop of players have no excuse but to believe they have the best setup for women’s football, allowing them to be competitive against the country’s top players.

On balancing her football career and studies, Ngobeni says it’s never been an issue for her as she has always been a top performer in her class while playing football. “I’m presented with new challenges every day but I always find ways to deal with them. I won’t lose focus when it comes to balancing both my education and football responsibilities.”

Having had her first call-up, the next big thing she believes will complete her sporting career is making the next Olympic squad with the national team.

And while she has a lot on her plate, battling challenges is part of her daily routine — and nothing will stop her from reaching her peak.