Cape Town - In the 16th in a series of Q 'n A style interviews with South African sportsmen and women ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Graeme Joffe chats to Banyana Banyana player, Robyn Moodaly.
Road to London: Bridgette Hartley
Road to London: Kate Woods
Road to London: Cameron van der Burgh
Road to London: Mbulaeni Mulaudzi
Road to London: Gideon Sam
Road to London: Marcus Retief
Road to London: Freedom Chiya
Road to London: Irvette van Blerk
Road to London: Chad le Clos
Road to London: LJ van Zyl
Road to London: Marc Mundell
Road to London: Kate Roberts
Road to London: Lawrence Ndlovu
Road to London: Jean Greeff
Road to London: Marsha Marescia
Road to London: Paul Hart
GRAEME JOFFE: Not too many people outside of football will know the name Robyn Moodaly. The 17-year-old is part of the Banyana Banyana squad on the “Road to London”. Wow, just 17 and a star already.
ROBYN MOODALY: Thank you Graeme but still a long way to go.
JOFFE: Tell us a little more about Robyn Moodaly – where you were born and when you started playing football.
MOODALY: I was born in East London and then I moved to Johannesburg. I started playing at the age of seven and had to play with the boys because where I stayed there was no teams for women.
JOFFE: So, you showed the boys a thing or two on how to play football?
MOODALY: Definitely.
JOFFE: Love your work. Now you living in Pretoria and based at the Tuks Sports Academy.
MOODALY: Yes, I am schooling at Tuks High school and it is like a boarding school. So, it is soccer and academics and really enjoying it.
JOFFE: So, you are eating, sleeping and drinking soccer?
MOODALY: Definitely that is it.
JOFFE: I didn’t realise that you were only 16 when you made your debut for Banyana Banyana. That must have been an amazing, unbelievable feeling?
MOODALY: Yes, shew, it was. I was so surprised to be selected but I made the most of it.
JOFFE: Yes, you have and now 17, going to your first Olympics, which is less than a month away.
MOODALY: Yes, I am so excited but maybe closer to the time I will feel it, because I am excited and nervous at the same time. But just watching on TV, you know it is amazing.
JOFFE: Are some of your family going to come over to London as well?
MOODALY: Hopefully my parents are going to come over, that will be great if my parents can support me there.
JOFFE: The squad has been put through their paces at several training camps, more recently at the High Performance Institute for Sport in Potch. So, the hard work is paying off for Banyana Banyana.
MOODALY: Yes, it is. Obviously a big thanks to our sponsor Sasol as without them, nothing would be possible. They have been behind us all the way. There are a lot of camps and it’s paying off and making them proud.
JOFFE: Looking at your group for the Olympics, not an easy group with the current World Champions, Japan, Sweden, who finished third at the last World Cup and Canada. So, it will be great just to get out of the group.
MOODALY: Ja, that would be great. This is our first time at the Olympics, so we are hoping not to disappoint our country. We will do our best and obviously to go past the group stage, that will be amazing.
JOFFE: Did you always want to be a midfielder or did you have that “kids dream” of being a striker?
MOODALY: Oh yes, I always wanted to be a midfielder.
JOFFE: I was just looking at a quote from Solly Luvhengo, who was your under 17 coach. He described you “as one of the best players that he has ever worked with”. So, big expectations.
MOODALY: Ja, Solly brought the best out of us in the under 17 World Cup. So, I am just trying my best at what I do.
JOFFE: After school, when you finish up at Tuks, what are your plans?
MOODALY: I have a lot of plans to study overseas but I am still keeping my options open. I definitely want to further my football career but at the same time still study.
JOFFE: And in the US possibly?
MOODALY: Yes, in the US.
JOFFE: Role models for you, Banyana Banyana or Bafana Bafana players?
MOODALY: Ja, it is amazing because when I was speaking to my friend and saying that when I was younger I used to watch Banyana, now to be playing with them is a dream come true.
JOFFE: Robyn, you sound like a fantastic young girl with a great head on your shoulders. Stay the way you are and wishing you and the team all the best for the Olympics. Here you are at 17 years of age and what you have already achieved is remarkable.
MOODALY: Thank you so much.
Catch Graeme Joffe on SportsFire every Monday and Thursday at 17:30 on Radio Today, 1485am in JHB, National on DStv audio channel 169 and streaming worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Follow Graeme Joffe on Twitter: @joffersmyboy
Road to London: Bridgette Hartley
Road to London: Kate Woods
Road to London: Cameron van der Burgh
Road to London: Mbulaeni Mulaudzi
Road to London: Gideon Sam
Road to London: Marcus Retief
Road to London: Freedom Chiya
Road to London: Irvette van Blerk
Road to London: Chad le Clos
Road to London: LJ van Zyl
Road to London: Marc Mundell
Road to London: Kate Roberts
Road to London: Lawrence Ndlovu
Road to London: Jean Greeff
Road to London: Marsha Marescia
Road to London: Paul Hart
GRAEME JOFFE: Not too many people outside of football will know the name Robyn Moodaly. The 17-year-old is part of the Banyana Banyana squad on the “Road to London”. Wow, just 17 and a star already.
ROBYN MOODALY: Thank you Graeme but still a long way to go.
JOFFE: Tell us a little more about Robyn Moodaly – where you were born and when you started playing football.
MOODALY: I was born in East London and then I moved to Johannesburg. I started playing at the age of seven and had to play with the boys because where I stayed there was no teams for women.
JOFFE: So, you showed the boys a thing or two on how to play football?
MOODALY: Definitely.
JOFFE: Love your work. Now you living in Pretoria and based at the Tuks Sports Academy.
MOODALY: Yes, I am schooling at Tuks High school and it is like a boarding school. So, it is soccer and academics and really enjoying it.
JOFFE: So, you are eating, sleeping and drinking soccer?
MOODALY: Definitely that is it.
JOFFE: I didn’t realise that you were only 16 when you made your debut for Banyana Banyana. That must have been an amazing, unbelievable feeling?
MOODALY: Yes, shew, it was. I was so surprised to be selected but I made the most of it.
JOFFE: Yes, you have and now 17, going to your first Olympics, which is less than a month away.
MOODALY: Yes, I am so excited but maybe closer to the time I will feel it, because I am excited and nervous at the same time. But just watching on TV, you know it is amazing.
JOFFE: Are some of your family going to come over to London as well?
MOODALY: Hopefully my parents are going to come over, that will be great if my parents can support me there.
JOFFE: The squad has been put through their paces at several training camps, more recently at the High Performance Institute for Sport in Potch. So, the hard work is paying off for Banyana Banyana.
MOODALY: Yes, it is. Obviously a big thanks to our sponsor Sasol as without them, nothing would be possible. They have been behind us all the way. There are a lot of camps and it’s paying off and making them proud.
JOFFE: Looking at your group for the Olympics, not an easy group with the current World Champions, Japan, Sweden, who finished third at the last World Cup and Canada. So, it will be great just to get out of the group.
MOODALY: Ja, that would be great. This is our first time at the Olympics, so we are hoping not to disappoint our country. We will do our best and obviously to go past the group stage, that will be amazing.
JOFFE: Did you always want to be a midfielder or did you have that “kids dream” of being a striker?
MOODALY: Oh yes, I always wanted to be a midfielder.
JOFFE: I was just looking at a quote from Solly Luvhengo, who was your under 17 coach. He described you “as one of the best players that he has ever worked with”. So, big expectations.
MOODALY: Ja, Solly brought the best out of us in the under 17 World Cup. So, I am just trying my best at what I do.
JOFFE: After school, when you finish up at Tuks, what are your plans?
MOODALY: I have a lot of plans to study overseas but I am still keeping my options open. I definitely want to further my football career but at the same time still study.
JOFFE: And in the US possibly?
MOODALY: Yes, in the US.
JOFFE: Role models for you, Banyana Banyana or Bafana Bafana players?
MOODALY: Ja, it is amazing because when I was speaking to my friend and saying that when I was younger I used to watch Banyana, now to be playing with them is a dream come true.
JOFFE: Robyn, you sound like a fantastic young girl with a great head on your shoulders. Stay the way you are and wishing you and the team all the best for the Olympics. Here you are at 17 years of age and what you have already achieved is remarkable.
MOODALY: Thank you so much.
Catch Graeme Joffe on SportsFire every Monday and Thursday at 17:30 on Radio Today, 1485am in JHB, National on DStv audio channel 169 and streaming worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Follow Graeme Joffe on Twitter: @joffersmyboy