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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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世界杯日益临近，南非的“奶奶足球队”也正加紧训练，实现她们自己的梦想：去美国为荣誉而战。
这支球队名为“瓦肯古拉”，按南非北部的宗加语意为奶奶。球队共有35名女性队员，年龄在50岁至84岁之间。
当地社工贝卡•恩灿维西在五年前组建了这支球队，以帮助老年妇女健身，并保持身体柔韧性。但球队运作非常成功，因此她们决心参加美国密歇根州兰开斯特举办的元老杯足球联赛。
恩灿维西说：“我们已受邀于7月13日至18日去美国踢元老杯。在那里，足球‘奶奶’们会聚在一起踢球。不仅有老奶奶，所有的老年人都可以参加。我目前最大的困难和挑战是没有足够的参赛经费。”
这支球队来自约翰内斯堡北部600公里（373英里）的察嫩的一个村镇。她们在上周末来到了堪称南非经济之都的约翰内斯堡踢球赛，为美国之行募集资金。
在比赛中，欢呼的人群一直在鼓励她们，但“奶奶足球队”最终还是以1比3败给了队员几乎都在30多岁的“地铁之鹰”队。
但足球奶奶们毫不畏惧。
恩灿维西称，她们目前已募到13万兰特（南非货币，合1.162万英镑），但去美国踢比赛需要50万兰特的资金。元老杯足球联赛将在南非世界杯结束两天后举行。此次为期一个月的世界杯比赛属非洲首次举办。
但不管怎样，足球奶奶们都不会后悔。她们称踢足球，甚至经常在做完家务后戴着围裙踢球已经改变了她们的生活。
现年77岁的奥尼卡•恩佐维拉三年前加入了球队，在此之前常感到背部和膝盖酸痛。
后卫恩佐维拉说：“我现在精力充沛，哪儿也不疼了，还可以跑动。我在家承担了全部家务，刷墙砌砖都不在话下。”
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（中国日报网英语点津 Julie 编辑蔡姗姗）
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