BOIPATONG.- South African women’s football history will never be written without mentioning the name of Rose “Pona” Rose Jijane (41).
Sedibeng Ster Sport recently took a short left to Boipatong’s township to reflect on this former Banyana Banyana defender’s career.
Jijane has since switched from football to athletics after she retired from football. She is one of the top women runners in Vaal Triangle to date running in the colours of Arcelor Mittal Athletics Club. Last year in September, she won the Vaal City Marathon 42km in the women’s section. She has been on top form using her international football experience to win the athletics races.
In a heart-to-heart interview with Sedibeng Ster Sport, Jijane said that after she retired from football, she wanted to keep herself busy and she decided to join athletics. Unlike other former Banyana Banyana players, Jijane didn’t want to get involved in coaching.
She went straight into athletics and this move surprised many who thought she would be involved in women’s football because of her international football experience. To make it interesting, Jijane comes from the same township as former Bafana Bafana Captain, Aaron “Mbazo” Mokoena.
She served women’s football with distinctions playing for Bophelong Ladies FC and Soweto Ladies FC before she retired. She made her international debut in the Women’s African Cup of Nations when Banyana Banyana suffered a 2-0 defeat against Cameroon in 1998.
“I must say this is the best decision I took after I retired from football to join athletics and I enjoy every moment of it. I didn’t want to get involved in football, especially coaching because my body still allows me to be active in the field,” she told Sedibeng Ster Sport.
