BOIPATONG.- As Sedibeng Ster Sport continues to profile outstanding women in sports as part of Women’s Month, Rose ‘Pona’ Jijane will go down as one of the outstanding sportswomen from this region.
This former Banyana Banyana defender turned runner has put the Vaal on an international level.
She has travelled the world!
With August being Women’s Month, Sedibeng Ster Sport looks at another life and career of Jijane, whose contribution to the development of women in this country won’t go unnoticed. She has done it against all odds when she was playing for Banyana Banyana.
What made Jijane stand head and shoulders above the rest is that she played women’s football before everyone came to terms with the fact that a girl can play soccer too. It used to be considered a sport for men. She started playing soccer with the boys before joining women’s soccer teams. Some of the notable names she played with include the late former Free State Stars midfielder Meshack ‘Maradona’ Tsotetsi.
The two played together at the now-defunct Ditshepe/Springbok FC from her hometown in Boipatong. This was before she joined Bophelong Ladies FC. The club was one of the best women’s soccer teams to have come in Sedibeng, producing several Banyana Banyana players.
However, Jijane will remain the best player from Sedibeng to play for Banyana Banyana in the late 1990s. Unfortunately, she played at a time when women’s football was still under development.
Not many were interested in women’s football, unlike today.
Jijane and other generations laid a solid foundation for women’s football in this country. They paved the way for generations to come in South African women’s football. It is safe to say, they “planted trees knowing that they will never sit in their shade.” She had a short stint playing abroad before returning home. She also played for the legendary Soweto Ladies FC, playing alongside the likes of Portia Modise. Jijane surprised many when she became one of the top women athletes in this region.
Sedibeng Ster Sport has been following her running career, and she has been doing exceptionally well.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster Sport, Jijane said, “It was easy for some of us to play soccer because it was only a few of us, and this made things difficult for us. We were judged by the community because they didn’t understand why girls play soccer. Even my parents were hard to accept the fact that I played soccer, considering that I’m a girl,” she said.
Today, Rose ‘Pona’ Jijane remains a proud symbol of resilience and sporting excellence. Her journey from the dusty streets of Boipatong to international stadiums and long-distance tracks is a powerful testament to what is possible when passion meets perseverance.
