Mamma Mia: Mia donning Momma’s keeper gloves on the pitch

Mamma-Mia! – Alas! This phrase has no direct relation or relevance to the 2008 jukebox musical comedy film, but rather of a journey in the making of how a daughter is carving out a career in sport following in the footsteps of her mother – a former Banyana Banyana goalkeeper and national softball player.

And as cliche as it sounds but when it comes to the Van Kesterens, the apple really does not fall far from the tree – whether it is football or softball it is evident that the eldest Mia van Kesteren is sure to keep her mom Astrid and the family’s sporting legacy alive.

Astrid, a former national goalie, is still going strong at the age of 45 years for Magic Ladies FC in the Sasol Women’s League.

Astrid will in the next few weeks compete in her sixth Coke Cup Final, while hubby, Garth, will be barking out orders on the touchline as assistant coach at Wynberg St. Johns (WSJ) Football Club at their Knockout Finals to be played at the Edgemead Sports Field on 7 October.  So too will nine-year-old Lily when she will be in action with WSJ’s boys in the under-8 final. 

It will especially be a momentous occasion for the eldest daughter, 15-year-old Mia – who in her first season of competitive playing – is now also vying for her first taste of success with Magic’s LFA squad. 

Astrid acknowledged that she is immensely proud of her children’s new-found drive and appetite for football as there were no signs that they would follow in her footsteps.

“Both my daughters, Mia and Lily, weren’t really interested in football until this year,” said Astrid.

“When Magic Ladies had an LFA team and she (Mia) showed interest – I said come and join and see how it goes in the pre-season and that is where it all began basically, you know.

“For the record, I never forced her to play football and she did it out of her own will.

“Astrid further explains: “Mia showed her athletic ability a few years back when she made the Softball Western Cape under-15 team at the age of 12 turning 13 to go play in the summer games in Gauteng,” said Astrid. 

“However, this didn’t happen due to Covid. The following year Mia made the Western Cape under-17 softball team and she was only 14 years old. She was then faced with a setback as she was deemed too young to attend the under-17 Summer Games,” Astrid added. 

This resulted in Mia turning her attention to football – in a goalkeeper position. Mia is currently the LFA squad’s number-one choice keeper.

Astrid emphasized that Mia’s current position as a goalie was clearly not by design.

“Funny enough, she actually wanted to be a defender, she is a left-footer like her dad and she wanted to try out at left-back.

But when we trained with Farouk (Abrahams) she came over and asked to join as she was trying to figure out where she fitted in and was still uncertain of her role.

“If I can be honest the way Farouk does his development with keepers also swayed Mia into taking a liking in goalkeeping and I was not to complain,” Astrid jokingly stated.

“On a serious note, I could relate to that because when I started out at the same age or around 15 years, I was also a defender. I played as a defender and wasn’t always a goalkeeper – I played sweeper you know.”

“Mia has grown so much in her first season as a goalkeeper that the head coach of the Sasol League Team, George Dearnaley, has expressed to Mia that he has earmarked her to be part of the Sasol League Team for 2024,” Astrid concluded.