Playing in front of a capacity crowd during the Varsity Football tournament helped Baroka FC defender Elliot Seema to overcome his stage fright.
The 28-year-old recalls how nervous he was when stepping onto the pitch before TUT’s matches. However, Seema gained valuable experience in Varsity Football and winning the tournament in 2016 gave him a big confidence boost.
‘After that, I told myself I could achieve anything I put my mind towards,’ Seema tells VarsitySportsSA.com. ‘That is where it all started for me. I will forever be grateful for this tournament as it opened the door for me to become a professional player.’
Seema had a brief stint at Polokwane City FC in the 2016-17 season, before returning to TUT in 2018 to further his studies and help them regain the Varsity Football title.
After the 2018 tournament, Seema signed a contract with Highlands Park, before moving to Baroka FC during the 2018-19 season, which was followed by an impressive loan spell at Swallows, who won the GladAfrica Championship title. That saw him return to Baroka and offered a two-year contract.
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‘If not for Varsity Football, I would not have turned professional,’ says Seema, who is now rubbing shoulders with the likes of 2017 Fifa Puskas award nominee Oscarine Masuluke and Manuel Kambala. ‘I want to work hard and fight for my place at Baroka.’
The talented defender is certainly an inspiration to the 2021 Varsity Football players who dream of playing professionally.
By Charles Baloyi
Main photo: Christiaan Kotze/Varsity Sports
