A teenage soccer star from the Thembalethu township in George is hoping that his quick feet, game instincts and goalkeeping skills will catch the attention of selectors and save his spot in the team travelling to France later in 2025.
Thandolwethu Sigxina, 19, is one of nine players from the area jetting off to Paris and Péronne in October aiming to impress club selectors and potentially kickstart their careers as professional footballers.
The former Jonga High School pupil and goalkeeper for the George Vultures Football Club said he was both excited and anxious to tackle the tour from October 3 to 12.
“This is my first big achievement in sports.
“I am so excited and wish nothing but the best for me and the players.”
Sigxina was selected from the 3,000 participants that played in April to represent Southern Cape Sports Tours internationally.
He said his passion for sport was due to its potential to transform lives.
He hoped that his success would serve as a lesson to other youths in the community to remain focused and work hard to attain their goals.
“Where I stay in George is an informal settlement with not a lot going on for teenagers and young adults.
“So to keep myself busy and remove myself from peer pressure, I decided to dedicate my time practising soccer.
“My dream is to be a professional soccer player, this is a great opportunity for me and the selected players because it takes us a step further to realising our dream.
“Crime and unemployment are [rife] in our community, with opportunities such as this one we are able to dream bigger and hold on to that dream.”
George Vultures Football Club co-founder Thando Donti said he was proud of all the players and wished them well on their journey.
“This is a great opportunity that I believe even if I was a player, I would grab it with both hands.
“It will be an exposure for the players to witness how things are done in other countries and encourage them to work even harder.
“This is not the first time our players were selected … we had players representing us in 2017 and we have three players represent us in Spain,” he said.
The Herald
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