• Tricky-girl “JJ” sends a warning

12 year old Jeniffer ‘JJ’ Mokoka from Marapong village in North East has been selected for national Under 23 team which will represent the country in BOPSA games in Namibia.

RISING STAR: JJ and her coach

The team leaves for Windhoek on Monday.
Mokoka started playing football when she was doing standard five at Mokaleng Primary School. In last year’s Orange Youth Cup in Selibe Phikwe she scored the only goal that made Francistown region the Champions in a 1-0 defeat of their Southern counterparts.

Speaking to Voice Sport this week Mokoka said she was excited to have been called for camp during school holidays. She said she had always dreamt of being called for national duty to represent the country.
“When I went for a camp, we were 22 and only 18 players were to make the final squad and despite the tough competition at training I knew I would be one of them. I’m going to do my level best and I will be happier if I will be in the starting lineup and score a goal,” said Mokoka.

She said appreciated the support she gets from her mother Itumeleng Mokoka. She has worked a working plan with her mother, to accommodate her love for the beautiful game.
“For as long as I do not neglect my studies, my mother does not have any problems with my football. She even bought me soccer boots as a motivation,” she said.
The young girl who gets her inspiration from Jerome Ramathakwane and Joel Mogorosi said in the next coming years she sees herself as a professional player.

Mokoka’s coach Obakeng France said he is reaping the fruits of his labour in developing such a star. He described JJ as a disciplined player who listens to his instructions and always willing to learn new things.
“This is one player that has never disappointed. This is for the first time as an inexperienced coach I produced such a good player. She can defend and attack, she is a utility player. This talent need to be nurtured it will take her somewhere and I’m happy to have contributed to her development. The good thing is even at school she is brilliant, she is always one of the top achievers academically. She will show the Namibians what she is capable of,” said France.

JJ