It was Mdeni's 8th birthday. Her father had promised her a gift because she had been a good, obedient girl. That afternoon her father came back from work and surprised her with a soccer ball. She was so happy because she loved soccer. Mdeni wanted to be a soccer star.

Ibiyi mini yokuzalwa yesibhozo ka Mdeni. UTata wakhe ebemthembise isiphiwo ngenxa yokumamela nokuziphatha kakuhle kwakhe. Ubuya kukwa Tata wakhe emsebenzini ebephethe ibhola ekhatywayo. Ebevuya uMdeni kuba eyithanda ibhola ekhatywayo. Ebefuna ubangumdlali odumileyo.

Later that afternoon, Mdeni showed off her ball to her friends. Everyone was happy to play with the new ball. They played soccer and showed each other soccer skills they had taught themselves.

Emva kwemini uye waphuma uMdeni eyobonisa abahlobo bakhe isipho sakhe. Wonke umntu ebevuyisana noMdeni bezodlala ngebhola yakhe entsha. Badlale ibhola bobonisana amaqhinga ebhola ekhatywayo.

Afterschool, Mdeni would eat, do her homework and go outside and play with her ball. This was her daily routine.

"I am going to be a superstar!", Mdeni exclaimed as she kicked the ball over the goal posts into the vacant home.

Ukuphuma kwesikolo uMdeni ebetya enze umsebenzi wesikolo ogqiba ayodlala nge bhola yakhe zonke iintsuku.
"Ndizoba ngumdlali webhola odumileyo" wakhwaza uMdeni ebe ekhaba ibhola phezu kwepali zebhola uyongena kwindlu ibingahlali bantu.

The house was full of trees and long grass. The gates were long and the fence too long to jump over. Mdeni was very worried, and so were her friends. How was she going to get her ball back?

Indlu le ibinemithi eminintsi nengca ende. Amasango nethango lide kakhulu engaxhumeki. uMdeni nabahlobo bakhe benexhala. Ngaba uzoyifumana njani ibhola yakhe?

They tried stepping on each other's shoulder so that one can go over the wall but how was that one person going to come back?

Mdeni fetched an old broom from her house. They tried to use it to pry it with the broom through the gate but failed because the ball was too big.

Bazama unyathelana emagxeni ukuze omnye aqabele alande ibhola. Ingxaki uzobuyela njani ngaphandle.
UMdeni uye walanda umtshayelo omdhala kokwabo ukuze bazame utsala ibhola. Ingxaki inkulu ibhola ayidluli phakathi kweentsimbi ze sango.

The sun was setting, and they had to go home. Mdeni gave up on getting her ball back. That evening when she told her dad what had happened her dad tried to console her however that night Mdeni went to bed sad that she lost her new favourite ball.

Ilanga beliya litshona kwafuneke begodukile. UMdeni uyewancama ukuthi uyoze aphinde afumane ibhola yakhe. Ebusuku waexelela uTata wakhe ukuthi kwenzeke ntoni. Uzame ukumduduza kodwa wayolala enentliziyo embuhlungu ukuthi ibhola yakhe ayisekho.

A week had passed and Mdeni had started to accept that she wont get her ball back. That saturday when she was playing with her friends, they saw people and cars parked outside the vacant house. They will get their ball back!

Kuye kwaphela iveki uMdeni engayifumani ibhola yakhe esencama. Ngomgqibelo njengesiqhelo ebedlala ebhaleni nabahlobo bakhe. Kwindlu engahlali mntu babona kukho iimoto nabantu. Sebengayi fumana ibhola!

Mdeni and her friends moved closer to the house to ask for the ball back. They could not believe what they saw. It was Njabulo Khumalo from the television, holding Mdeni's ball. She was biggest soccer star and Mdeni's role model.

UMdeni nezihlobo zakhe baye basondela ukuze bazocela ukufumana ibhola yakhe. Abayikholwelwanga into abayibonileyo. Ibingu Njabulo Khumalo waku mabonakude epethe ibhola ka Mdeni. Ungumdlali odumileyo we bhola ekhatywayo kwaye uMdeni ujongela kuye.

"i hear that a little girl lost her ball" said Njabulo
"Yes, it belongs to me. I got it for my eighth birthday" replied Mdeni.
" I am sorry you had to wait for that," she walked to her car and fetched something. It was the famous ball that Njabulo used to score her first goal for Mzantsi Stars. " You can have it."

"Ndiva kuthiwa intobazane encinci ilahle ibhola yayo" kwatsho uNjabulo.
"Ewe, yeyamu. Ndiyifumene nge mini yam yokuzalwa yesibhozo" waphundula uMdeni.
"Uxolo ngokulindisa ixesha elingaka" waya kwimoto yakhe eyolanda into. Ibiyi bhola edumile uNjabulo wayisebenzisa ukuze afumane inqaku lakhe lokukqala edlalela iMzantsi Stars.

The story is about a little girl's passion for soccer. Her family is really supportive, and she gets a new ball for her birthday. The worst happens and she tries, with all her friends, to get it back. when she has given up all hope, her dreams come fulfilled as she meets Njabulo Khumalo, a soccer legend. she gets back her ball and a ball with a story.