The Eastern Cape Aloes netball team are aiming for nothing less than a top four finish in this year’s Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League season that starts on Friday.
This they said during the announcement of the team at an event that was attended by Netball SA president Mimi Mthethwa and her provincial counterpart Mpumi Javu in Southernwood, East London at the weekend.
The 18-member strong Aloes squad will be captained by multi-talented star Nosie Goda who was begged to dump rugby where she has been a seasoned campaigner for the SA Women’s Sevens team.
Goda said there was no reason why the Aloes cannot win the title saying she believed the team was strong enough.
She acknowledged that this season would not be an easy one, especially with the league format having been changed from a two-section comprising of strong teams grouped together and the rest in another section to one stream where every team will play against all other provinces.
The 27-year-old Goda praised the new format. “I think it is going to be helpful because you need to play the best to be the best.”
Aloes resume their campaign with a tough one against nemesis KNZ Kingdom Stars on Saturday at the Hatfield Arena in Pretoria.
According to Goda, Aloes are ready for war. “We have an experienced team and I believe we have got what it takes to win the title as long as we believe and execute the coach’s instructions accordingly,” she said.
“We cannot go into the competition with the mentality that so and so is better than us because with that mentality you have already lost.”
Aloes coach Ciska Kirchoff said her troops have been hard at training preparing for the battle.
Said Kirchoff: “Most of these players have been together for three years now so we have to push through.”
Kirchoff’s only concern was getting players together for training camps since they come from different towns across the province.
“This is our biggest challenge” she said.
This sentiment was echoed by Javu who added that lack of sufficient funds made the situation even worse since the Eastern Cape Netball Association had to pay for the transportation of players who do not get financial rewards from the sport.
“The team we have is made up of the cream of the crop of netball players we have in the province but we have challenges associated with funding,” said Javu.
“This affects our plans but I believe with enough funding for things such as transportation of players, we can finish in the top three or even win the competition.
“Some of these players are working so it becomes difficult to leave your work and come for training because they do not get paid in netball.”
Mthethwa said she was not entirely happy that the NPL was not a fully-fledged professional league yet, “but I am happy because we can see where we are going with it towards achieving our goal of professionalising netball.”
For her, the priority for now was getting all provinces on the same par in terms of quality players and strengthening the brand of netball.
The Aloes NPL squad for 2016: Goda, Lungelwa Ngcanga, Noluvuyo Nodludlume, Bavuyise Matyumza, Zandile Njeza, Zandile Ntsangani, Nontando Lusaseni, Arne Rust, Athenkosi Mbengashe, Nomonde Qekema, Zeadine Januarie, Kuhle Klaas, Nadine Kirchoff, Zukelwa Cwaba, Zanele Vimbela, Melodine Jacobs, Nobubele Phuza, Hlumisa Sithonga. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
Aloes geared up for the new season
This they said during the announcement of the team at an event that was attended by Netball SA president Mimi Mthethwa and her provincial counterpart Mpumi Javu in Southernwood, East London at the weekend.
The 18-member strong Aloes squad will be captained by multi-talented star Nosie Goda who was begged to dump rugby where she has been a seasoned campaigner for the SA Women’s Sevens team.
Goda said there was no reason why the Aloes cannot win the title saying she believed the team was strong enough.
She acknowledged that this season would not be an easy one, especially with the league format having been changed from a two-section comprising of strong teams grouped together and the rest in another section to one stream where every team will play against all other provinces.
The 27-year-old Goda praised the new format. “I think it is going to be helpful because you need to play the best to be the best.”
Aloes resume their campaign with a tough one against nemesis KNZ Kingdom Stars on Saturday at the Hatfield Arena in Pretoria.
According to Goda, Aloes are ready for war. “We have an experienced team and I believe we have got what it takes to win the title as long as we believe and execute the coach’s instructions accordingly,” she said.
“We cannot go into the competition with the mentality that so and so is better than us because with that mentality you have already lost.”
Aloes coach Ciska Kirchoff said her troops have been hard at training preparing for the battle.
Said Kirchoff: “Most of these players have been together for three years now so we have to push through.”
Kirchoff’s only concern was getting players together for training camps since they come from different towns across the province.
“This is our biggest challenge” she said.
This sentiment was echoed by Javu who added that lack of sufficient funds made the situation even worse since the Eastern Cape Netball Association had to pay for the transportation of players who do not get financial rewards from the sport.
“The team we have is made up of the cream of the crop of netball players we have in the province but we have challenges associated with funding,” said Javu.
“This affects our plans but I believe with enough funding for things such as transportation of players, we can finish in the top three or even win the competition.
“Some of these players are working so it becomes difficult to leave your work and come for training because they do not get paid in netball.”
Mthethwa said she was not entirely happy that the NPL was not a fully-fledged professional league yet, “but I am happy because we can see where we are going with it towards achieving our goal of professionalising netball.”
For her, the priority for now was getting all provinces on the same par in terms of quality players and strengthening the brand of netball.
The Aloes NPL squad for 2016: Goda, Lungelwa Ngcanga, Noluvuyo Nodludlume, Bavuyise Matyumza, Zandile Njeza, Zandile Ntsangani, Nontando Lusaseni, Arne Rust, Athenkosi Mbengashe, Nomonde Qekema, Zeadine Januarie, Kuhle Klaas, Nadine Kirchoff, Zukelwa Cwaba, Zanele Vimbela, Melodine Jacobs, Nobubele Phuza, Hlumisa Sithonga. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za
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