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As the World Cup approaches, South Africa's soccer grannies are working to fulfil their own dream -- competing for glory in America.
The 35 women, aged from 50 to 84, play for a team called Vakhegula Vakhegula or Grannies, Grannies in the Xitsonga language of northern South Africa.
The team was founded by community worker Beka Ntsanwisi five years ago to help the older women keep fit and flexible, but the project has been so successful they have set their sights on a trip to the Veterans Cup competition in Lancaster, Michigan.
"We have been invited to play in America from July 13-18 for the Veterans Cup, where the grannies come together and play soccer. Not only grannies but everybody who is old. So my problem now, the challenge that I have, is that I do not have enough money," Ntsanwisi said.
The team hail from a rural township near Tzaneen, 600 km (373 miles) north of Johannesburg. They came to South Africa's business capital last weekend to play in a tournament to raise money for their trip to America.
They played with credit, egged on by cheering crowds, before going down 3-1 to the Metro Rail Eagles, whose players are mostly in their 30s.
But the grannies are undaunted.
Ntsanwisi said they had raised 130,000 rand (11,620 pound) so far but need 500,000 rand to make the trip to America for a tournament that starts two days after the end of the month-long World Cup, first to be held in Africa.
Whatever happens, however, the grannies have no regrets, saying playing football, often in their aprons after domestic work, has changed their lives.
Onica Ndzovela, 77, suffered back pain and sore knees before joining the team three years ago.
"I am fresh, I don't feel any pain in my body, I can run. At home I do all the housework by myself. I paint the walls and fit tiles," said defender Ndzovela.
(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.)
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(Agencies)
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世界杯日益臨近，南非的“奶奶足球隊”也正加緊訓練，實現她們自己的夢想：去美國為榮譽而戰。
這支球隊名為“瓦肯古拉”，按南非北部的宗加語意為奶奶。球隊共有35名女性隊員，年齡在50歲至84歲之間。
當地社工貝卡?恩燦維西在五年前組建了這支球隊，以幫助老年婦女健身，并保持身體柔韌性。但球隊運作非常成功，因此她們決心參加美國密歇根州蘭開斯特舉辦的元老杯足球聯賽。
恩燦維西說：“我們已受邀于7月13日至18日去美國踢元老杯。在那里，足球‘奶奶’們會聚在一起踢球。不僅有老奶奶，所有的老年人都可以參加。我目前最大的困難和挑戰是沒有足夠的參賽經費。”
這支球隊來自約翰內斯堡北部600公里（373英里）的察嫩的一個村鎮。她們在上周末來到了堪稱南非經濟之都的約翰內斯堡踢球賽，為美國之行募集資金。
在比賽中，歡呼的人群一直在鼓勵她們，但“奶奶足球隊”最終還是以1比3敗給了隊員幾乎都在30多歲的“地鐵之鷹”隊。
但足球奶奶們毫不畏懼。
恩燦維西稱，她們目前已募到13萬蘭特（南非貨幣，合1.162萬英鎊），但去美國踢比賽需要50萬蘭特的資金。元老杯足球聯賽將在南非世界杯結束兩天后舉行。此次為期一個月的世界杯比賽屬非洲首次舉辦。
但不管怎樣，足球奶奶們都不會后悔。她們稱踢足球，甚至經常在做完家務后戴著圍裙踢球已經改變了她們的生活。
現年77歲的奧尼卡?恩佐維拉三年前加入了球隊，在此之前常感到背部和膝蓋酸痛。
后衛恩佐維拉說：“我現在精力充沛，哪兒也不疼了，還可以跑動。我在家承擔了全部家務，刷墻砌磚都不在話下。”
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（中國日報網英語點津 Julie 編輯蔡姍姍）
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