Pabi Cooper Reacts To “Banyana Ke Bafana’ Reaching 2 Million Views. Just over a year ago, singer and dancer Pabi Cooper was the typical girl next door whose dreams were to become SA’s youngest soccer referee.The rising star’s passion for football was first sparked by her grandmother who taught her the ins and outs of soccer through their little television at home as a child. While soccer was what she and her grandmother used to bond over, little did Cooper know that later in her life she’d want to pursue it professionally by becoming a referee.
Pabi Cooper announced the success of her hit single titled ‘Banyana Ke Bafana’ as its music video as it reached 2 million views on YouTube. Pabi who is excited about her growth in the industry teased the video on Instagram and penned down a note of thanks to her supporters.“Thank you for 2 Million views on Youtube,” she wrote.
As she followed her passion and attained a certificate of being a qualified referee, her dreams came to a halt due to the pandemic, a hard knock that left Cooper scratching the surface of some of her talents that have solidified her in becoming the star she is today.
“Fame for me wasn’t the plan. I mean, I only released my first song Isphithiphithi in August last year, so being known like this feels unreal but I am grateful. I’m from Soshanguve, north of Pretoria. It’s a known fact that people where I come from don’t usually make it in life – it’s either you fall pregnant quite young or become a junkie. I remember being told that I wouldn’t amount to anything because of how I used to conduct myself when I was 15. I’d often go out with my friend, not focusing enough on my school books… actually at that time, I thought I knew everything. I thought I was cool. Luckily I had a turning point in my life when I found my love for soccer two years later by being a goalkeeper.”
