Rolling back the years

The team doctors, however, earned their keep.

The aches and pains of the elderly players needed constant checking, South African team medic Diana Mawila said.

Some members of her Vakhegula Vakhegula team had to be monitored for high blood pressure before every game.

Vakhegula Vakhegula means "grandmothers grandmothers" in the local Tsonga language, and is a nod to the national men's team, Bafana Bafana or "boys boys".

But, the team disagreed with the medic's assessment and burst into heartfelt laughter.

"We are fit!" captain Thelma Ngobeni said, balancing a packet of maize flour that players received after the games on her head.

"It is not about winning or losing. All that matters is that we showed up, had fun and did our best," she said.

Nonhlanhla's goal was more ambitious. A dream of making it big in soccer was within reach, she said.

"It's never too late to achieve your childhood dreams.

"I don't see anything stopping me," she added, walking out of the tunnel to face France.

In a scene mirroring professional soccer, the vuvuzela-blowing crowd erupted into wild applause as the teams entered the stadium hand-in-hand with young mascots, and, again after the national anthems.

"I'm halfway there, right?" Nonhlanhla smiled.

AFP