Soccer gives Nemato pupils boost
CANDICE BRADFIELD
TWO pupils from Nemato schools have been chosen to train at Holy Stars soccer academy in Pretoria, after answering an advertisment in Laduma magazine.
Akhona Jobela, 20, attends Kuyasa Combined School where he is in Grade 11. Sinethemba Pase, also 20-years-old, is in Grade 12 at Nomzamo High School. They were the only two to be chosen from 200 other hopefuls.
"We are proud of this achievement,” said mayor Sipho Tandani.
| FUTURE STARS: Two Nemato school pupils, (back, from left) Sinethamba Pase and Akhona Jobela, have been selected to play for Holy Stars soccer academy in Pretoria. They were congratulated by mayor Sipho Tandani (front right) and Mluleki Ncapayi from the special programmes unit who assisted the future football stars Picture: CANDICE BRADFIELD |
Next year Jobela and Pase will move to Pretoria where they will start their soccer careers while furthering their education, which will be partially sponsored by Holy Stars. Jobela will be in Grade 12 and Pase will be studying journalism.
Tandani said Mluleki Ncapayi from the special programmes unit had limited resources to help the boys but ensured they travelled to Pretoria to compete in trials at Holy Stars.
"Don't forget your parents or your teachers, or where you come from,” Tandani exhorted the two budding soccer stars.
He urged them to demonstrate a high level of discipline and to remember than education comes first.
Pase said he was excited about what lay ahead.
"I am looking forward to going to Pretoria next year. I will be doing my first year in journalism and I am very happy about that,” he said.
Jobela is also excited about the opportunity to play.
"I can now fulfil my dreams. I am a bit concerned about going to a new school but I'll see what happens,” he said.
Now that they have been chosen to play for the soccer academy, Jobela feels other pupils from Port Alfred will also get the same opportunity in the years to come.
"They must believe in themselves because they can do anything. Decide what you want and work at it, and you will get it because of God,” he said.
