Johannesburg – Upcoming high-profile soccer star Tshepiso Madumise who plays for the top national women’s league side, Maindies F.C says football has helped her step away from deadly drug addiction.
Madumise who hails from Pimville in Soweto, says returning to her roots in her football career, has shaped her life around, as she’s crossing fingers to receive a Banyana Banyana call-up.
Speaking highly of how she embarked on her football journey, Madumise says that she started to play soccer at a tender age, while she was only nine years old.
“I played soccer from the age of 9 until my matric year in 2014,” says Madumise.
“So, in 2015 I decided to take a gap year, things changed drastically from that year. I started smoking drugs and completely forgot about something that I love the most however I’d go there and play, but not like how I used to.”
The 24-year-old says she became resistant to Crystal meth drugs, and for her to go back to her senses took time, as she spent over three years using drugs.
“The time which I smoked, i was extremely high, and my family had no clue,” she told Sunday World.
Madumise said that the tables turned around in 2017 when she experienced an overdose, and she was sent to a hospital as she was in critical condition.
Despite the life-threatening incident, she said that she continued to use drugs.
Speaking to Sunday World, the defensive midfielder revealed all in an inspiring sit-down interview.
She says that she wouldn’t be here now, had it not been for the impact of playing football.
“Football is everything to me, it literally saved my life,” highlighted Madumise.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you if I didn’t have football to turn to. Although, I thought the world was turning up for me, I rescued myself before I dwelt into darkness.
“I decided on my own that I needed effective change, then that’s when I returned to action again in 2018, and fortunately enough I got an opportunity with the Wanderers, a team which presented South Africa in the CAF Women’s Champions League,” she said.
“While I made a U-turn in soccer, I sealed a deal with Manzini Wanderers, a professional team where I made my continental feature in my football career.
“So that made me realise how I almost wasted my talent, thanks to God, for granting me another opportunity,” she says.
Madumise signed a three-year deal with Maindies FC earlier this year in June, and she aspires to play for Banyana, in which she says that she was inspired by the likes of Noko Matlou, Nothandazo Kubheka, Zandile Ndlovu and Danielle Clayford.
Madumise says she won’t blame her drug abuse because of financial distress or family disputes, but she started to do drugs for fun.
“We tend to make excuses as to why we fell for drugs, we must tell the real story as when we started it was all nice you’d never hear anyone saying they smoke because of stress,” says Madumise.
“We started taking drugs for fun that’s reality, other people just make excuses in which is highly wrong,” she added.
“Quitting drugs was difficult, to tell you the truth, however, I came to a point where I told myself to abandon the drugs and make an effective change for myself.
“What I love about football is that whenever I’m in a field of play I become happy, that became the rehabilitation cornerstone I can tell,” states Madumise.
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