Another milestone for Banyana captain

Banyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk brought up another milestone at the weekend when she played her 125th match for the women’s national team, making her the most capped South African footballer of all time.

The 28-year-old has played for Banyana for 11 years and has been a constant fixture in the team for much of that time and moves ahead of former teammate Portia Modise on the list of caps winners.

Retired defender Aaron Mokoena has made the most appearances for the men’s side with 107.

Van Wyk, who also played 19 times for the women’s Under-20 side, is preparing to lead the senior team at a second successive Olympic Games in August, where the side will take on some of the world’s best, and says there is still much to look forward to both in terms of international and club football.

“I am really proud to have come this far, it’s been a great journey for me despite experiencing many ups and downs,” Van Wyk told Tiso Blackstar.

“It was quite a struggle for me coming into the team at such a young age and needing to grow as a footballer. Winning 125 caps is not something I ever thought was possible, so I’m extremely happy.”

The defender, who played in boys sides up to the age of 15 as there were no girls teams around her Alberton home, says the one match that stands out for her in her career is the victory over Nigeria at the 2012 African Women’s Championship.

“It was the first time we had beaten a side from Nigeria in South African women’s football history and after so many disappointments in the past it felt like a great achievement. It was nice too that I scored the only goal of the game.”

Van Wyk is targeting a move abroad after the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, which would represent a new chapter in her illustrious career.

“I’m looking to go to England after the Olympics, I’m not sure where yet,” she says. “I want to experience more of the football world and gain experience of playing abroad.”

She says there are no thoughts of retirement at this stage, but has set her sights on staying in the game when she finally does hang up her boots.

“I want to go into coaching when I retire, to stay in the sport that I have such passion for. I want to grow the next generation of Banyana players.”

Van Wyk is already doing that through the development of the JvW Girls School Soccer League she set up in Gauteng, as well as her club, JvW FC that competes in the Gauteng Sasol League.

But all her focus for the next four months is building towards the Olympic Games and she says it is so far, so good for the side.

“Preparations are going really well. We started in December and the girls are making it tough for coach Vera to choose who should get a place at the Olympics place.”

The side recently returned from Cameroon where they played to a pair of draws in friendly matches against their hosts.

Those are decent results on the road, but Van Wyk believes they have much more to give.

“I thought we could have put in a better performance together as a team. It was our first games in five or so months, so there was some rustiness. We have Botswana coming up in the next week, so hopefully we can show then what we have learnt in the last few months.”