We have been celebrating Heritage Day and the diversity in our beautiful country, and it is amazing to see how football plays a major part of our heritage, and also how it brings each and every person together, no matter the language that you speak, the colour of your skin, and even the team that you support. Football is the pillar of our heritage.
I grew up in a coloured community where soccer was instilled in me from the tender age of six. I remember the days when my father would take my brothers to PSL games and to the SAA Supa 8 (BP Top 8), now known as the MTN8, and he would leave me behind because I was too young. I'd heartbroken as I also wanted to experience the beauty of our game as I had seen on TV.
Growing up as a female and loving the world of soccer always raised eyebrows among the people around me, and even family members would question me about why I had so much passion for the game. Let me say this: football is a culture, it is a way of bringing people together no matter the circumstances and differences one might have with another, and that is why our country is one of the best soccer-supporting nations in the world, as nowhere else would you find supporters of opposition teams sitting together during a match and just enjoying the game.
What do you think of our football heritage compared to the countries?