The Pirates Cup tournament, held from March 28th to April 1st, brought together young male and female soccer players for an exhilarating display of talent and teamwork. Among the highlights of the event was an exclusive interview with Nonkosi Twayise, a former student-athlete who made her coaching debut with the WITS Junior team in the women's division.
Twayise’s love for the game took a turn during her time at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), where she not only pursued her studies in Banking and Economics but also showcased her talent on the football field.
Fast forward to today and she finds herself in a new role – that of a coach. But her fascination for football goes back to when she was just a spectator as a young girl. “I used to be a hockey lover, I played this sport [hockey] in primary school. Football was one of those sports I used to go watch as my older brother used to play, which then triggered my curiosity though there was no girls team so I joined the boys in my neighbourhood.”
During the conversation, Nonkosi fondly reminisced about her varsity football years, highlighting her achievements on the field: “In Varsity that's when my football career started to take a different turn as now my focus was just based on football and getting a bursary to further my studies. Coach Leah Masango pushed me to become the best version of myself and by then I had seen that there is more to learn. I started off in the UJ second team, after a year and a half I got promoted to the first team.”
“My memorable moment as a student-athlete was to win my first gold medal at the 2011 Gauteng and National University Sports South Africa (USSA) with the UJ team. In 2013 the very first Varsity football cup tournament for the ladies was introduced and we went on to be the very first team in the entire University to win a Varsity Cup trophy, this was one of my highlights as a player. What followed was being chosen to represent my nation at the World student games in Gwangju South Korea in 2015 as well as the CUCSA games in Zimbabwe, 2016. I also became player of the season and players player in the same year (2016)”
Coaching the WITS junior team for the first time, Nonkosi's journey has come full circle and is nothing short of inspiring as she leads her team into the knockout stage at the annual Pirates Cup tournament at Marks Park. The women's category had eight teams which were divided into Group A and Group B.
Group A featured TS Galaxy, Mamelodi Sundowns, Future Stars Ladies, and Amahle FC, while Group B consisted of WITS University, JVW, University of Johannesburg, and University of Pretoria. “Nonki”, as she is called by her peers, stood proudly on the side lines and led her team to two victories and one draw in their group, coming out at the top with seven points and no defeat.
The former defender took a moment to share the key lessons and insights that she has been passing on to her troops, “One of the key lessons is that Unity is very important. We need to stand and fight for each other in all kinds of situations. To build on our technical and tactical awareness and also drive consistency within the team.”
“Being both a student and an athlete was very challenging, but players need to remember why they are playing so that they build a better future for themselves. As a coach, education comes first. If you miss training try push yourself when you have spare time just so you don’t get left, behind because not every player’s goals are the same and that's how I pushed myself when I was a student-athlete”
Twayise shared her excitement and nerves about coaching the WITS Junior team for the first time, remaining focused on her future goals as an emerging coach. She articulated her aspirations and what the opportunity to coach at this year’s Pirates Cup signifies for her career.
“As a young upcoming coach this is a big stage for me, personally I want to learn as much as possible from my colleagues and I believe the sky's the limit when you have a growth mindset. I am also grateful to the institution (WITS) for giving me the opportunity to do my CAF D licence through their assistance and as for my team I want us to grow in bit and bounds, be joined and united as previously mentioned.”
WITS gears up to face off against the formidable Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the knockout phase of the tournament on Sunday, March 31 at 2Pm. Sundowns is an accomplished opponent led by two players - Rhoda Mulaudzi and Andisiwe Mgcoyi, who once stood opposite Nonkosi on the field during her playing days. The other fixture of the day will see TS Galaxy face off against JVW, also kicking off at 2PM.
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