When soccer coach Joseph Makgoka first saw Banyana Banyana player Noko Matlou maneuvering the field almost 17 years ago, he knew that he had found a star.
Yesterday, Matlou was among five players who hail from Limpopo to be honoured by their home province after their big Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) success in Morocco last week.
Makgoka, who spoke to Sowetan at the Seshego sports field, where Matlou used to practice as a teenager, said he discovered her while visiting Bochum for a tournament "years ago".
“I didn’t waste time. I approached her to join my team on the same day. She was exactly the kind of player I was looking for. She was an all-rounder,” Makgoka said.
Matlou went on to play for the Seshego Development Team, which paved the way for other opportunities in the industry.
Makgoka said seeing Matlou progress to play for the national team and getting a contract in Spain has made him proud. Many of the girls who used to play with Matlou left the game due to lack of opportunities. “I am glad that she held on but most of our players give up because there are no opportunities and we don’t have resources,” Makgoka said.
Matlou’s impressive journey as one of the longest-standing players for SA’s National women’s team started in Bochum, where she lived with her aunt Roseline Kganyago and her seven cousins. After Matlou matriculated in 2004 at Bodiela Secondary School in Bochum, the family moved to Seshego, where Kyanyago still lives.
Kganyago, who raised Matlou from the age of two, recalled how she would place two bricks on the ground to play with Matlou and other children. Matlou also loved netball and running.
She said Matlou’s mother was working far from their home at Ga-Phaudi village and did not have someone to look after her child. But Kganyago says raising the soccer star was a breeze.
“Noko has always been a soft-spoken child with a lot of energy. She was also very good with cooking and cleaning,” Kganyago remarked.
But life was not easy for the family as Matlou’s mother had to work hard to provide for her two daughters on her own.
“I’m so proud that Noko was able to change the situation at home and build her mother a decent home. She has really made a difference in my sister’s life.”
Matlou’s mother, Lizebert Matlou, 67, said she nearly fainted when she saw her daughter on television for the first time in the Banyana jersey in 2007. “I was so excited. I could see the work of God. I now love soccer because of Noko and we are always watching games at home,” she said.
Lizebert, who worked on a potato farm, said it was difficult raising two children while getting paid R5 per week. “We used to take some of the potatoes from the farm and put them in buckets so we can sell them for extra money. What else could I do with children to feed?” Lizebert said.
Matlou, who has gone on to play for Eibar in Spain, has built a successful career for herself with more than 10 accolades to her name, including Cyprus Cup 6th place, Cosafa Cup, 2012 London Olympics as well as being rated the second-highest capped football player in SA in 2018.
Matlou said growing up, people in her community found it strange that a girl would want to play soccer. Even her mother would sometimes scold her for neglecting her chores in favour of playing the game. “But because of my passion, I would always make a way to sneak out,” she said.
Matlou said she always make time to train with local teams when she is around so she can share her skills and experience with them.
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