Amanda Dlamini: Former South African player on ground-breaking Afcon commentary role in Ivory Coast

Dlamini’s sports career may have been on the football pitch but growing up in KwaZulu-Natal province she competed in many sporting codes and wanted to become a sprinter.

Economic hardship hindered her pursuit of that dream and instead turned her attentions to football.

“I was a sprinter [over] 100m, 200m and 400m but a lack of resources back in the rural areas hampered my progress into athletics,” the former midfielder explained.

“I fell back into soccer, because at every corner boys were playing football and I just stood out as the only girl.

“I just continued and pursued it until I had to move from home at 14 to try and follow this footballing career, because I needed to find an all-girls team so that I can progress and make it into the national team.

“That on its own was very difficult, to leave my parents and my family behind.

“Every milestone, every achievement every opportunity for me, it’s almost like it’s a full circle moment of coming back to the young Amanda who was always dreaming of those opportunities.”

Dlamini’s pioneering role at the men’s Nations Cup this year underscores her determination and resilience in chasing her dreams.

And she hopes this milestone can have an impact with other women across the continent in pursuing their aspirations.

“I started this journey simply because when I looked around back home, young girls who were my age back then, 12 or 13, were being forced to drop out of school because they had to go get married at a very young age,” Dlamini reflected.

“And I thought, ‘Aren’t their dreams valid? Does anyone care what it is that they want to do for themselves?’

“So, I’m hoping that with this opportunity that I’ve been afforded they can see that it’s okay to chase their dreams. But also, when the platform is there, don’t be afraid to be the first.”