The Big Interview: Andile Dlamini

One of Africa's best goalkeepers discusses her journey from bottom to top, the upcoming World Cup and her hopes for the future of women's football in South Africa.

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Andile Dlamini has cemented herself as one of the best shot-stoppers in Africa.

Andile Dlamini is in by her own admission a “good place”. When we speak, it’s just four days before she will be named in the provisional South Africa squad for the World Cup by head coach Desiree Ellis.

But the 30-year-old doesn’t know it yet, and despite her stature as one of Africa’s best goalkeepers, a recent ankle sprain is keeping her sweating in relation to her spot in the final squad for next month’s tournament.

“In all honesty, my emotions have been all over the place because of my rehabilitation,” she admits. “I haven’t had much game time, but everything is going well. Every day has been a day where I work on my mental toughness, understanding that I have a plan to make it to the World Cup.

“Emotionally, it’s understanding these things happen to sport athletes. I haven’t been out there on social media because I wanted to heal with no pressure. The only thing I’m trying to do is get right, without that pressure, while also understanding I’m an athlete and people will be wondering where I am. My mental state right now is another level, it’s going quite well.”

Dlamini has seen plenty of change in South Africa, on both a sporting and cultural level. She has gone from a back-up to one of the best on the continent, winning three straight league titles with Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as the CAF Champions League and her first major honour with her country at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

During their successful Champions League campaign, Dlamini was named in the tournament’s best eleven and helped her side reach the final again last year, only to lose in the final to Moroccan champions AS FAR.

“The progress has been amazing,” she smiles, talking about the South African domestic game, with the country now bidding to host the 2027 World Cup, which would be the first women’s tournament to be held within Africa.

“If you look, we have Hollywoodbets now sponsoring the league which has been amazing. We have young talent coming through now and it’s much easier for a coach to select players from all around the country that it used to be. Players in disadvantaged areas get to be seen and the overall progress has been immense.

“Us winning AFCON last year, that was amazing. There’s a lot that can still be done, but if we were to host the World Cup it would open up so many opportunities. We have shown we have sponsors coming on board now and that would attract even more. Teams coming from overseas will see how serious we are, how women are taken more seriously here now, slowly but surely.”

“We’ve hosted the men’s World Cup which was a great tournament, so why not?…”

It hasn’t always been that way though, but like in many countries around the world, that attitude is changing. Dlamini is one of a few lucky enough to be paid a monthly wage with Mamelodi Sundowns taking a more professional approach to the women’s game than many of their rivals, and Dlamini hopes the game only keeps going the right way.

“We are not at the level we want to be as women. We’d love to see ourselves play professionally, so we have to find solutions for women’s football and hosting a major tournament would do that. We’ve hosted the men’s World Cup which was a great tournament, so why not? It would be the first women’s World Cup in Africa and why not South Africa?