Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Striker, Andisiwe Mgcoyi travelled to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Mgcoyi witnessed this year’s ongoing largest football tournament in person courtesy of Hyundai South Africa, which is one of the sponsors of Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club. The trip to Qatar was in celebration of the Player of the Season Mgcoyi clinched last year after an excellent form.
The in-form striker was on beast mode the previous season with 27 goals to her name in the Hollywoodbets Super League as well as being honored by the Minister of Sport, Mr. Nathi Mthethwa as she received the Minister’s Recognition Award. In a recent interview before heading off to Qatar, Mgcoyi expressed the magnitude of the opportunity to witness and spectate the FIFA World Cup in sight, she said:
“This is a dream come true for me given that I have never watched any World Cup game Live since I started my football career. It has always been my childhood dream to witness the FIFA World Cup in person and with the opportunity that has been given to me, I am excited to see the world’s biggest showpiece, more especially because I am passionate about the sport.”
Mgcoyi is a player with numerous accolades under her name and has won multiple individual awards as a player. She is also a Coach to the Mamelodi Sundowns development team, this emphasises how she wants women’s football and sports to grow and for young women who want to be in football.
The Banyana Ba Style accomplished Striker shared how her experience in Qatar was overwhelming as she learned about the teams and the Qatari football culture. “While watching France the other day, I saw Mbappe on the pitch and I realised the importance of development and integration of players into the senior team. It showed that with thorough development, a player can reach great heights and it is something I will instill in the players that I coach back at home.”
The 34-year old striker additionally mentioned that she saw a few techniques and ideas that will help her to grow as a player. Being in Qatar as a spectator, the Hollywoodbets Super League Golden boot winner shared that seeing people from all over the world in Qatar supporting their respective countries is what stood out for her when she attended a fan festival in Qatar. Mgcoyi also noticed how players need to be mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and holistically fit when participating in international matches because of the high demands of the games.
The Banyana Ba Style star concluded by sharing that she would like to see Senegal progressing to the next round as group winners and also revealed that she is rooting for Brazil or France to win the World Cup because those are the countries that have her favourite international players.
