Banyana Banyana defender aims high
Just a week after thrashing the Comoros Islands 13-0, Banyana Banyana defender Janine Van Wyk, said she is optimistic the team will board a plane to the World Cup to be played in Canada next year.
Van Wyk, popularly known by thousands of football lovers in the country as “Booth”, said the win was the right tonic for the players to believe in themselves and to work even harder going forward.
“This was a morale booster for us. I know we are still going to play against big guns like Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria, but I am optimistic we will qualify for the World Cup. Three African teams are going to represent Africa in the World Cup, and believe you me, South Africa will be one of them,” she said.
Van Wyk started playing football at the age of six, while still staying in Gemiston. She did not get an opportunity to play football while in high school, because she attended an Afrikaans school and they did not play football. She later joined a team called Springs Home Sweepers in Kwathema.
After a few years, she joined the Moroka Swallows Ladies Team before joining the Super Falcons in Tembisa.
“I had memorable times with the Tembisa-based Super Falcons. We won the league three times in a row and were untouchable,” she said.
She has now formed her own team, called JVW Ladies, and the team is based in Bedfordview. It is coached by Carell Nowiki.
When asked if she takes instructions from the coach as he is coaching her team, she said it is not a matter of taking instructions or not, but rather being disciplined and follow the rules.
“As a coach, he is in control and I do whatever he wants when we play. He is the boss,” she added.
As regards her future, she said she would like to coach one day.
“I believe with the experience I have in the game, I can make it in coaching. Who knows, I might end up coaching the national team one day,” she said.
