Zanele mdodana biography of barack

Before Stellenbosch University head netball coach Zanele Mdodana took her team all the way to the University Sport South Africa 2019 final – for the first time in 18 years – she had to win a battle off the court with her players and managers.

Facing a backlash from players who insisted on speaking Afrikaans and managers who did not want to let go of their historical responsibilities, Mdodana, 35, had to either adapt or throw in the towel.

But the Port Elizabeth-born former Proteas netball captain faced it head on and proved her detractors wrong.

“The stakes were high and expectations were high.

“I was asked if I can actually do this job because sports at Maties is a big deal and it’s all about excellence,” she said.

“A lot of pressure was on me.

Being black and coming to a very Afrikaans environment, I was dealing with white students on a regular basis.”

Mdodana, who was appointed the first black head coach at