Shiwe Nogwanya
The Lass’ got talent
Age:22
Club: Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies
Howetown: Kroonstad
Johannesburg - Shiwe Nogwanya has all the qualities of a good striker. “Speed Fire”, as she is nicknamed, has the height, makes the intelligent runs, can hold the ball well to play with her back behind the defenders and has a wicked turn. The only thing missing from the Banyana Banyana forward, which is a key ingredient, is scoring regularly.
That’s not because she lacks talent, rather it’s a confidence issue. When she starts poorly, she drops her head and struggles to pick herself up. But when she starts well, she is a force.
“If you increase the pressure, Shiwe performs better,” said Banyana Banyana coach Vera Pauw. “It’s a psychological battle managing her. She needs pressure and big games to grow. I push her because I know what she is capable of. She needs that. You need to know your players to be able to get the best out of them.”
In Banyana Banyana’s last camp in Johannesburg, before they flew to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, Pauw pushed Nogwanya. She constantly stopped training to tell her what she did right and how to improve on the things she did wrong. That brightened up the face of the Bloemfontein Ladies’ forward, especially when she was complimented because when she wins the mental battle, she plays better.
“There are some senior players who have been helping me pick myself up when I am down,” Nogwanya said. “The coach also motivates me because she sees how gooda player I am. If I drop my head she talks to me. She pushes me, which drives me to excel because of the faith she has shown in me. The problem is that I am too hard on myself to a point that I doubt my talent. Having someone tell you that you have the talent, you can do more with it if you do A, B and C - that inspires me.”
An inspired Nogwanya will be influential in the Olympics where Banyana Banyana start their campaign against Sweden on Wednesday, then China three days later before they take on the hosts Brazil. At the last Olympics, which Nogwanya wasn’t a part of, the senior women’s national team returned with one goal from the boot of Portia Modise and a point against the then world champions Japan.
Their primary target this time is to make a mark. To do that they have to improve on their attack, which has been led by Jermaine Seoposenwe with Sanah Mollo supporting her. Nogwanya is third in the pecking order. But her aerial strength sets her apart from the other two. Former Banyana Banyana coach Joseph Mkhonza was impressed by it when he called her up for the first time in 2013, taking her to the Cyprus Cup and also using her in a friendly against Mozambique. She didn’t make the desired impact and that saw her in-and-out of the national team without much game time. That changed slightly under Pauw with Nogwanya even partnering Modise upfront in Namibia at the African Women’s Cup of Nations in 2014. However, she hasn’t reached her full potential yet.
“Just being selected as part of the 18 to play at the Olympics is huge for me because many players wanted this opportunity,” Nogwanya said. “It shows that there is something I can add. This is a perfect platform to not only be seen by a bigger audience but to also raise my game because the standard is high.”
The Star