Mamelodi Sundowns Magazine
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Thanks to sheer determination and perseverance, one footballer who broke the chain of her early years of struggle is Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies striker Melinda “Tsetse” Kgadiete.
The Digital Magazine Crew linked up with the Banyana Ba Style and South African Women’s National Team forward as she recalled the struggles that she faced while growing up in her neighbourhood.
The 29-year-old attacker excitedly explained how she fell in love with the game during her formative years, “My love for soccer came from my father who was very passionate about the sport and played for the local team. My first taste of organized football came when I was just nine years old. At the time, I played for a club named ‘Future Stars’, and remarkably, I was the only female player on the team.” She continued to express how awkward it was on game days, “I had to get dressed on my own. This often made them sceptical about me, but I was a very good player and my coach always ensured that I got the respect that I deserved.”
The soft-spoken player, who joined Masandawana at the start of the treble-winning season after a great spell with Siwelele Ladies, described what it means to play for The Brazilians. “Joining Mamelodi Sundowns has been a great experience because the club is huge both on and off the pitch,” Melinda said. “Considering what I have been through, I feel blessed to be handed the opportunity to play for such an illustrious club. The brand is synonymous with excellence and this shows in the way we dominate games and win trophies. As a team, we work hard daily because there is a lot that we want to achieve. One of the reasons I joined the team was to win accolades and the club has afforded me that opportunity,” Kgadiete confidently declared.
Melinda has also stamped her authority in the Hollywoodbets Super League and the inaugural edition of the CAF Women's Champions League that took place in November in Egypt. “These last few months have been one massive journey as I featured in several tournaments for both Sundowns and Banyana Banyana. It has been a wonderful learning curve for me and my teammates as we have gained so much knowledge and experience,” said the Sundowns striker. “This will come in handy in boosting our overall understanding of the game.”
She went on to express her excitement in winning the CAF Women’s Champions League, “The win in Egypt boosted our confidence. It shows that if we can dominate the entire continent, it means that we are more than capable of showing our class whenever we are pitted against anyone. Right now, our long-term target is to compete at the proposed FIFA Women’s Club World Cup. We feel unstoppable at the moment, but we are going to keep working harder every day in training to avoid any form of complacency.”
Although the Mdantsane-born attacker is often praised for her ability to put the ball in the back of the net, there is a lighter side to her personality off the field.
