Former Banyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk has told CentreCircle.online that she is excited to be moving abroad to take up a new position of assistant coach at Kristianstad DFF in in the Damallsvenskan (Swedish Women’s Football League) for the 2026 season.
“I’m thrilled and excited for this opportunity,” said an excited Van Wyk.
But she could be lost to South African women’s football following the appointment where she will be working alongside new head coach Nik Chamberlain, who also start next season.
Van Wyk is currently the head coach and co-owner of JVW in the Hollywoodbets Super League, a club she founded with Lauren Duncan.
It is still not clear who will take over at the Blue Diamonds.
This will be her first coaching stint abroad following the acquisition of a UEFA B Coaching Licence in Scotland as well as a CAF B coaching diploma.
“I’m truly honored and excited to be joining KDFF as an assistant coach. Coming from South Africa, this is a special new chapter in my coaching journey to grow in a top league and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a fantastic and respected club. I look forward to working hard alongside the staff and players to achieve great things together,” said Van Wyk on the club’s statement.
The former South African international defender took over the reins of head coach of the Blue Diamonds at the start of this season and has so far kept the team in the top five of the 16-team league.
JVW are fifth on the table on 39 points after 20 games – they have won 11 games, drew six and lost three.
“It feels good to have now also added the role of assistant in addition to the head coach role. In recent years, we have found great value in having our own experience from high-level play in our leadership staff, and we are getting that quality back through Janine. As a player and leader, her actions have always had the hallmark of “the team before the chase” – something we hope will contribute to our continued development,” says KDFF club manager Lovisa Ström in a statement.
Van Wyk joins a highly ambitious club that finished fourth in the 2024 league season, slightly missing out on EUFA Women’s Champions League qualifying round.
This campaign, they are lying fifth on the table after 20 rounds of fixtures – with 10 wins, four draws and six defeats. They have 34 points.
The new appointment will be a further boost to Van Wyk’s well-decorated CV where she was captain of Banyana Banyana for over 10 years before hanging up her boots last year.
She is the current record holder of the most appearances for a national team on the African continent – both male and female – with 185 caps.
Van Wyk has been on the books of Houston Dash in the USA (2017/2018), Fortuna Hjörring (2019-2020), Glasgow City (2021/2022) as well as Ergotelis in Greece.
She is the first player to lead Banyana Banyana at a FIFA Women’s World Cup (France, 2019) and has also represented South Africa at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
Van Wyk joins a growing list of South Africans who are working abroad as coaches including Jerry Tshabalala (Morocco), Rhulani Mokwena (Algeria), Fadlu Davids (Morocco), Benni McCarthy (Kenya) and Sheryl Botes (Uganda), among others.
Kristianstads DFF:
- Kristianstads DFF is a women’s association football club from Kristianstad, Sweden
- The club is affiliated to the Scania Football Association in Sweden
- Wä IF was founded in 1935 and their women team played from 1990 to 1994 and again in 1998 in the Damallsvenskan.
- The team merged on 5 November 1998 with the women team of Kristianstads FF to become Kristianstad/Wä DFF. The team continued as Kristianstad/Wä DFF during the seasons of 1999 until 2001 in the Damallsvenskan. In 2006 the club was renamed to the current name Kristianstads DFF.
Swedish League:
- The 2025 Damallsvenskan, known as the 2025 OBOS Damallsvenskan for sponsorship reasons, is the 38th season of the Damallsvenskan, the top division of women’s football in Sweden.
- The season began on 23 March and will end on 16 November.
- FC Rosengård are the reigning champions, having won a record 14th title in the previous season.
- The Damallsvenskan (‘Women’s Allsvenskan‘), known as OBOS Damallsvenskan for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of women’s football in Sweden.
- It is one of the best women’s leagues in the world, and was founded in 1988.
- The division consists of a league of 14 teams. From 2013, the Damallsvenskan began operating on a system of promotion and relegation with the Elitettan. The two lowest placed teams are relegated to the Elitettan, and the two highest placed teams from the Elitettan are promoted in their place. Starting with the 2022 season the league has been expanded from 12 to 14 teams.
By Matlhomola Morake
