Laughter, cheers, and chants filled the mountain-view stadium this week in South Africa’s Limpopo province as more than a dozen teams of elderly women from across the globe laced up their cleats and took to the pitch for the Grannies International Football Tournament—affectionately dubbed the Grannies World Cup.
Held over four days, the grassroots tournament saw women as old as 87 take part in 30-minute football matches played at a gentle but determined pace.
Teams from the United States, France, Togo, Kenya, and several parts of South Africa gathered for more than just sport—it was about healing, camaraderie, and rewriting the script of aging.
At 63, Mbele Nonhlanhla, a grandmother of seven from the famed Soweto township, proudly sported jersey No. 10 as she represented her team, Vuka Soweto.
“I feel like a superstar,” she beamed, revealing a wide smile and one missing tooth. “They call me the goal machine.”
For most participants, this was their first time on a football pitch. Devika Ramesar, 62, a South African mother of two and grandmother of five, put it best:
“Whether we win, lose or what, it is all about coming here and staying fit.”
Edna Cheruiyot, a 52-year-old striker from Kenya, had only two months to learn the rules before flying out to South Africa. But on game day, she scored her first-ever international goal—and captured the moment with selfies to send home to her grandchildren.
“I feel nimble,” she said. “This is the lightest I’ve been since my first child in 1987.”
A Movement Born from Struggle
The tournament traces its roots to 2007, founded by Rebecca “Mama Beka” Ntsanwisi, who was once confined to a wheelchair after a cancer diagnosis.
At 57, she now champions active aging through the program Vakhegula Vakhegula—which means “grandmothers grandmothers” in the local Tsonga language, a playful nod to South Africa’s national men’s team, Bafana Bafana (“boys boys”).
Ntsanwisi’s vision is clear: older women deserve more than just caregiving roles.
“We are neglected,” she said. “This is our time to enjoy and relax… I will die knowing that I did something.”
With nearly 40% of South African children living in grandparent-headed households, the initiative speaks to a deeper social reality shaped by poverty, tradition, and migration. But through football, the women reclaim joy, purpose, and visibility.
Health, Humor, and Heart
The aches and pains were real—but so were the grins and dancing. South African team medic Diana Mawila kept a close watch for high blood pressure and sore joints, but her players insisted they were just fine.
“We are fit!” shouted team captain Thelma Ngobeni, balancing a bag of maize flour on her head after a match.
The atmosphere rivaled any professional tournament. Teams entered the stadium to national anthems, hand in hand with young mascots. Fans clapped and cheered from the stands as goals were scored, hugs were shared, and dreams were reignited.
As for Nonhlanhla, she’s not done dreaming big: “It’s never too late to achieve your childhood dreams,” she said, heading off to face France with the energy of a teenager. “I don’t see anything stopping me… I’m halfway there, right?”
The next Grannies World Cup could be hosted in Kenya, if Mama Beka gets her way. Until then, these inspiring grandmothers are living proof that passion, purpose, and play have no age limit.
