Banyana Banyana’s Antonia Maponya successfully balances her full-time SA Navy career with professional football, using her disciplined, flexible lifestyle to pursue World Cup qualification dreams. Antonia Maponya. | Backpagepix.
Antonia Maponya wouldn’t have it any other way. The pressure and rewards of balancing a full-time career with semi-professional football are exactly what she strived for in her adulthood.
A full-time employee at the SA Navy by day and a footballer by late afternoon, Maponya’s daily routine is far from typical. Her day begins with a 7am to 4pm shift, followed immediately by training at 4:30pm with her club, UWC.
After completing her Human Resource qualification at UWC in 2021 and finishing eight months of Navy training in 2022 – during which she took a hiatus from football – it might seem like Maponya has easily balanced these two worlds.
However, that is far from the case. She relies on the unwavering support of family, friends, colleagues, and teammates to stay grounded, especially since her only day of recovery – Sunday – often proves far too short.
