Brilliant Bosija rising high with Sundowns
After a slow start to her career with South Africa’s top club, Mamelodi Sundowns, sidelined for eight months by a nasty knee injury sustained weeks after joining, Sedilame Bosija is making up for lost time.
Since making her debut at the start of June, the 24-year-old goalkeeper has been in sensational form, keeping nine clean sheets in 12 games as her side cruise to another Hollywood bets Super League title.
Although the return of Banyana Banyana number one, Andile Dlamini has seen Bosija drop back to the bench for the last two matches, she remained in high spirits when Voice Sport caught up with her this week.
“The competition is healthy, we respect each other and we learn from each other,” insists the former Bloemfontein Celtics star.
“I am happy with my performance. I think I have been at my best and that is something to be excited about. However, I will not be carried away by these few good performances; I am going to stay disciplined and keep working hard to be an option for selection,” promised the level-headed Mare, speaking on the eve of what is a huge month for her club.
“We all know that the coach [Jerry Tshabalala] always rotates the squad to give everyone a chance as we are headed for the CAF Women’s Champions League this weekend; I think it is good for the team,” continued Bosija, who signed for the Pretoria outfit last July after three successful years in Bloemfontein.
19 points clear in the domestic league, Sundowns attention know turns to the north.
Bosija and her teammates jet off for Morocco this week, where they seek to defend their ‘Champions of Africa’ status sealed at last year’s inaugural tournament.
Drawn in Group B, the Brazilians Banyana Ba Style open their campaign on Monday against the Bayelsa Queens of Nigeria. Fixtures against Wadi Degala FC (Egypt) and TP Mazembe (DR Congo) follow, with the top two going through to the semi-finals.
Desperate to make her mark on the continental competition, Bosija is hungry to once again prove herself at the top level.
“With the wealth of experience I gained from WAFCON, I want to translate the form to in this year’s Women’s Champions League. I still have ambitions to play in Europe one day but I am focused on doing well here,” said the Tutume native, who has previously been linked with a move to Slovakia only for the deal to fall through due to Covid-19.
For Bosija, the Champions league marks a welcome return to Morocco.
It was here, just three months ago, that the Mares thrilled in their first-ever WAFCON, pushing heavyweights such as Nigeria, Morocco and eventual winners South Africa all the way.
Having missed the qualifiers with the same knee injury that derailed her start with Sundowns, there were doubts whether Bosija would be fit enough to take part in WAFCON.
However, she returned to fitness just in time, playing in all five of Botswana’s outings and pulling off a number of big saves as the ladies fell agonizingly short of World Cup qualification.
“Going into the tournament I was a bit nervous. What kept me going was the fact that I had always wanted to play at that stage, since I missed the CAF Inter Clubs Tourney as I was still nursing an injury,” reflects the young shot-stopper as she looks back on what has been a whirlwind few months even by her impressive standards.
Seemingly fully recovered from the double Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Meniscus tear she suffered during one of her first training sessions with Sundowns, Bosija’s career appears to be on the rise again.
One suspects there are plenty more highs to come!