S. African grannies kick stereotypes out of soccer
STORY: South Africa's grannies are showing that you don't need to be young to play soccer
- let alone smash the ball into the roof of the net to the cheers of a delighted crowd.
This is the Grannies International Football Tournament, featuring teams from as far away as France and the United States.
It's nicknamed the "Grannies Soccer World Cup".
All the players are women aged 55 and up.
It's been organized for the first time by South African team Vakhegula Vakhegula.
"At this age, at my age I think if I was not in this sport I would have been confined to a wheelchair.”
Flora Baloi is a striker for the team.
The 66-year-old started playing in 2017 after suffering from severe arthritis.
"For me to strike, I feel good when I strike, and even with my inner emotion I strike. I strike physically and inside me, so a lot of toxins come out of me when I am striking."
When she's not scoring goals, Baloi spends her time reading with her five grandsons or watching soccer with her husband.
And she says she now no longer needs medication.
The four-day tournament, taking place in Limpopo province, features 15 teams from South Africa and other countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Mo Kelly plays for a team from the U.S. - who triumphed 3-2 over Vakhegula Vakhegula on Sunday (March 26).
“We love it. It means so much to us. It’s a community, it makes us healthy, and we know that they want the same thing."
Vakhegula means "grandmothers" in the Tsonga language.
The team was formed in 2007 to improve the health of local women.
It's since led to the creation of other such teams across the country - as South Africa's grannies kick out stereotypes and show you're never too old for a kickabout.
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