Player Profile – Mphelo Thorisho (Holy Family College and JVW FC winger)
Mphelo Thorisho, aged 15, is a Holy Family College student and a JVW FC winger. She is also a member of the u17 South African girls’ team, “Bantwana“.
In a recent interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, she talked about her passion for football.
Like many of her teammates, she started her journey in football at a very young age, engaging in matches with boys during break time at school. Soon, she began improving, and that encouraged her.
“When I saw that I was getting good, I started becoming more serious about the sport, and started to join teams and started to play in local leagues,” she said.
Mphelo said the Covid-19 lockdown prevented her from playing as much football as she would have liked to play. However, after the lifting of the lockdown, she began training with SuperSport United, which greatly improved her skills.
While at the club, she continued to compete against boys, and it was during this time that coach Shannon Allan recognised her talent and recommended her to Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.
“At Sundowns, I learned how to play the ball tactically, and that improved my basics, like the first touch, and how and when to make a run. So now, I feel like I’ve become better at those things. I am more confident when I play now.”
Mphelo looks up to two FC Barcelona players as role models, Lamine Yamal and Salma Parauello, who plays on the wing for Barca in Liga F, the women’s division of La Liga. Parauello’s talent and resilience, and her ability to challenge opponents, especially resonates with Mphelo.
She said she paid close attention to Parauello during the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2022, and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which Spain won by defeating England 1-0 in the final.
When she first received a call-up to represent South Africa, Mphelo said she found it hard to believe. However, blessed with an opportunity to play for her country, she immediately got down to work. “I started training and working harder so that when I got to the camp, they would be happy with the decision to call me up.”
Playing for the national team has taught her discipline, she said, and how demanding it can be to represent her country. Versatility is important, she added, with players being asked to play different positions and having to adapt to those challenges.
Now, at JVW, she says that her coaches have taught her lessons that can be seen in different aspects of her play.
“I’ve learned that hard work pays off because, ever since I joined JVW, I’ve gotten many chances to do lots of things. I’ve played lots of tournaments and I feel like that’s what helped me be seen by the national team and get a call-up.
“At school level, I’ve learned sometimes you have to be patient with your teammates.”
When not playing football, Mphelo typically spends time reading books at home and occasionally playing basketball.
She is currently preparing for the second round of the u17 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers, with Bantwana set to face Nigeria at home on 8 March and away on 15 March.
They’ll hold a one-week training camp from 16-22 February before taking on the Flamingos.
