SA women's hockey goalkeeper Aphiwe Dimba gears up for All Africa Games in Ghana

At just 23 years old, Dimba secures her place among the 18-member squad bound for Accra, Ghana, where the Games commence on March 8th and conclude on March 23rd.

Engaging in a mini-league format from March 15th to 22nd, South Africa will face off against Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. Their opening game against Nigeria kicks off on March 15th at Accra’s newly refurbished astro turf.  As the ultimate line of defense, Dimba is resolute in her commitment to safeguarding the goalposts and leaving a lasting impression at the Games.

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"Excited, excited and excited, I don't think I can actually put into words how I feel when I think of what an honour and a privilege it is to be part of something so great and something so big. Something that not everyone gets to experience. I never pictured myself being in this situation, potentially being in a team that could attend the Olympics. So, I think it's mixed emotions but excitement is one of the feelings that I feel especially as a new player in the team," Dimba said.

This marks her first appearance in a significant international tournament, and alongside her teammates, she dedicates extensive hours on the training grounds to gear up for the opening of the event of the year.

This upcoming tournament promises formidable opposition from premier teams across the continent. Dimba in particular, amplifies her commitment by intensifying her preparations for the Games.

"The preparations have been quite a testing building up to where we are now I must say. Personally, I know there's been a hard shift put in\ just to try to get to the level where I am required to be. So, it's been tough but it's definitely worth it and I'm quite looking forward to experiencing my first All Africa games in Ghana and I'm really excited that I've pushed this hard in prepping and I'm quite excited to honour the invite for the All Africa games and represent my country in Ghana," Dimba added.