Wearing blue tracksuits and waving their national flag, South Africa's ‘Vakhegula Vakhegula’ soccer team jogged into the stadium to cheers ahead of their first match against team USA, Reuters reports. It was the first day of the Grannies International Football Tournament in Limpopo Province, and this team, just like the others, was made up of women aged 55 and up. Vakhegula means grandmothers in the Tsonga language spoken in South Africa. At my age, I think if I was not in this sport I should have been confined to a wheelchair, said 66-year-old striker Flora Baloi, who started playing in 2017 after suffering from severe arthritis. Now she said she no longer needs medication, as the exercise keeps her physically and mentally fit. When not practicing with the team, she likes watching soccer on TV with her husband and spending time with her five grandsons. First of its kind The tournament, nicknamed the Grannies Soccer World Cup, is the first of its kind hosted by ‘Vakhegula Vakhegula’. The team formed in 2007 to improve the health of local women has led to the creation of other granny teams across the country. The four-day tournament will see at least 15 teams compete, from South Africa and other countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Teams have come from as far away as France and the US. We love it. It means so much to us. It's a community and it makes us healthy, said US player, 64-year-old Mo Kelly.
