Women’s African Cup of Nations champions Banyana Banyana has returned home heroines.
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Following their win against Morocco on July 23 the NEWS joined the team on Thursday during their practice session at Jeppe Quondam.
Banyana Banyana captain and Edenvale resident, Janine van Wyk, said the win had opened many doors for female footballers and women’s football in the country.
“I feel the game was always in the shadows.”
Janine who started playing football at the age of six has dedicated her life to the sport she loves.
At the age of six, while living in Alberton, Janine joined a boy’s football team in Germiston.
“When I was 14 my first female club was Springs Home Sweepers in Kwa-Thema,” she said.
Janine made her first national appearance in 2004 for the U19 side and her debut for the senior women’s national (Banyana Banyana) side a year later.
She has played for the national team for the last 17 years and was first featured as the team’s captain in 2013.
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Janine currently holds the record as the highest capped football player in South Africa and the highest capped female player in Africa.
“The national team was crowned African champions and all of a sudden we are in the spotlight. I think it’s a big game changer for us,” said Janine.
“The more recognition we get as female footballers the more sponsors come on board to professionalise the game in our country.”
She hopes to see the sport build on the recent success and that women can make a career out of the game.
“For many years it was seen as a hobby.
“Only now is that starting to change and clubs are paying the players to a certain extent,” she said.
The team’s Robyn Moodaly who has stayed in Edenvale for the last 15 years, started playing at the age of seven.
“I started playing with the boys’ teams because there were no girl’s teams.”
Robyn attended Sunnyridge Primary School and one year of high school at Edenvale High School before she was scouted for the high-performance centre in Pretoria.
“I spent four years there doing my high school and during that time I was part of the U17 national team, the U20 national team and Banyana.”
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While playing for the U17 team she formed part of the squad that qualified for the world cup. As a result, she debuted for Banyana Banyana at the age of 16.
“I was scouted for my performance in the U17 world cup and have been a part of Banyana ever since.”
Robyn was part of both Olympic appearances for the national side but said winning the WAFCON title was unlike anything ever experienced.
“It was amazing. We worked so hard for this, everyone knows the stats. We’ve always come short and finished second. Now to finally get that a medal means the world.”
She hopes that the win would offer many opportunities for women’s football and sponsorship of local leagues.
Robyn added that the team win had given female players a platform and opened doors that were not there before.
Edenvale resident and coach at Saheti School and JVW, Kaylin Swart said the final was nerve-wracking. It was also an exciting time for the team.
“The referee signalled four minutes and when we looked at the board there were nine minutes left. It was the longest nine minutes of our lives.
“We were so full of emotion and when the whistle went it was like a breath of fresh air and we were bursting with excitement – everyone into happy tears,” she said.
“Everyone was too ecstatic that we did what we went there for. Our number one mission was to be champions of Africa and to do it in that fashion proved that all our hard work paid off.”
Although Kaylin recently moved to Edenvale her sporting career started at the age of six.
“I’m Port Elizabeth born and bred. When I started high school I moved to boarding school. I left home at a young age. I haven’t lived in my parents’ home since I was 14.”
She said that it was only when she reached high school that she seriously thought of playing football as a career.
“I was playing Eastern Province cricket at the time too but I decided to go with my first love, which was football,” Kaylin said.
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“When I reached high school and was training every day at the academy I could see my dream of being a professional player.”
Kaylin said young girls and women will hopefully now see that there is something in the sport for them.
“Now, we’ll get the recognition we deserve. We’ve been producing great results for the country and now many of the girls are seeing us out there on the field and can see themselves through us.”
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