Johannesburg — After making several sacrifices to find a balance between her studies and football career, Wendy Shongwe is finally living the dream.
Born in Mpumalanga 20 years ago, Shongwe always wanted to become a footballer. But due to limited opportunities, she pursued athletics.
She was so good on the track that she raced with the legendary Caster Semester, competing in the 400m and 800m upon her arrival at the University of Pretoria.
Despite succeeding on the track, Shongwe changed her running shoes for football boots. The trade worked like a charm as she was crowned the Varsity Football Player of the Tournament in 2021.
“It’s been part of my plans to make the transition from being an athlete to a footballer. After matric I decided that I was going to play football because it’s been my first love,” Shongwe said.
Her brilliance in the Sasol League Championship earned her a maiden Banyana Banyana call-up in 2021, before the inception of the Hollywoodbets Super League meant that coach Desiree Ellis selected more players from the division.
Shongwe and Co worked hard to get UP promoted to the semi-professional league late last year, as they were losing finalists to Copperbelts in the Sasol League Championship finals held in Polokwane.
Fast forward a few months in the Super League, and the Phd student in Horticulture has impressed so much that she has worked her way back into the Banyana team ahead of the World Cup in July and August.
Speaking before she and her Banyana teammates jetted off to face Serbia in a friendly on Monday, Shongwe recalled how balancing her football and studies wasn’t easy.
“I had to wake up in the morning and join the boys at my club and train with them. I am at school right now, so I had to send letters to lecturers that I won’t be available for classes because I have camps,” Shongwe said.
Shongwe’s return to the national team doesn’t mean she has guaranteed a spot in Banyana’s final squad for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She is not thinking that far ahead either. What matters for the time being is that she is doing what she loves and back where she belongs – with the national team.
“I don’t know what to say. But what I can say is it’s a great feeling (to be back here). And having to be part of the team and make the final 23 (squad for the friendly) is like a great thing and a dream come true,” she said.
“I’m really looking forward to making more history for myself and the national team.”
Shongwe, though, knows that everything will not come on a silver platter. And that’s why she has to continue working hard to remain part of the national team going forward.
Already Ellis has lauded her ability to use both feet to shoot, but the striker says it’s taken her a lot of practice to ensure that she gets that right week-in and week-out.
“Honestly, that doesn’t come naturally. I had to train (very hard) to get that right,” Shongwe said.
IOL Sport