After failing to get game time for the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana in the Olympic qualifiers against DR Congo in the first leg in Kinshasa last month, Janine van Wyk left the national team camp shattered.
She did not play in the return leg at Orlando Stadium a few days later, diminishing any hope and chance of equalling and breaking the long-standing record of 184 national team appearances held by Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan, set in March 2012 when he ran out against Kenya in a friendly.
Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (205), Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait (196) and Soh Chin Ann of Malaysia (195) have more caps.
But the matter has since being ironed out – Van Wyk is back in the national team fold and will finally get her flowers.
The defender has been named in the squad of 24 players to face Burkina Faso in the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The first match will be away and is set to be played on Thursday, 30 November 2023, while the reverse fixture will be held at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Monday, 4 December 2023.
Prior to the DR Congo training camp, Van Wyk hadn’t been in the Banyana Banyana set-up since September last year when South Africa played Brazil in two international friendly matches played in Johannesburg and Durban in preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“We’ll do our utmost best to get her those two caps. It’s not just a record for her but I think it’s very good for women’s football in the country, it’s very good for the South African Football Association (SAFA) and a record for women’s football on the continent. In the previous camp I was asked the question by the media if there was another opportunity (for Janine after she left camp) and I said but there is an opportunity,” said Ellis.
After the two games, Van Wyk will bid farewell to the national team she has played for since 2005 when she made her debut.
She has been to two Olympic Games, London 2021 and Rio 2012, and was the first captain to lead Banyana Banyana at a FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019.
The defender was also part of the squad that saw South Africa being crowned Queens of Africa after winning the 2022 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – their maiden title.
Speaking exclusively to CentreCircle.online, Van Wyk had this to say upon learning that she has been selected for the Burkina Faso encounter.
“I feel very excited to be given another opportunity once again by the head coach, it is something that I would want to achieve not only for myself, but I think it’s important for the whole of South Africa, it’s important for a girl child, a female footballer coming into the spotlight, breaking that record that’s been standing for standing for 12 years by an Egyptian. It will be a fulfilment for me, for my lengthy career with the national team and it couldn’t end any better,” said Van Wyk after her club’s 3-1 win over Royal AM at the UJ Soccer Stadium in Soweto on Thursday night (23 November 2023).
“I am little bit anxious knowing that there’s a record to be broken but it’s an opportunity that I get given, whether I go on to play a full match, 10 minutes or even 2 minutes, a cap is a cap, but I am excited to break the record.”
Ellis has also revealed that talks are ongoing with the South African women’s football stalwart, Nompumelelo Nyandeni, and the midfielder is set to earn her 150th cap at a later stage.
Mbuzi, as Nyandeni is known to her peers, last ran out for Banyana Banyana prior to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France after she was named as one of the standby players.
Since then, the Mpumalanga-born forward has been focused on club duties, with many wondering if she will ever reach the magical 150th cap after waiting for so long.
Ellis has been inundated with calls to include Nyandeni in her squad so she can achieve the feat – the last one before she retires.
“I can confidently say that I’m busy with that the other one. No one else has reached out, Mpumi is the second player to reach out and we’ve had conversations, so this is definitely something in the background and I can confidently say that I’m busy with that matter,” added Ellis.
Nyandeni played UEFA Women’s Champions League football while on the book of WFC Rossyanka in Russia, and was also at the two Olympic Games that South Africa qualified for, but missed out on the back-to-back World Cup tournaments as well as the WAFCON success.
She is currently playing for TS Galaxy Queens in the Hollywoodbets Super League following her departure at the beginning of this season from JVW, which she captained for a long time. It is at the club that she was crowned Top Goal Scorer of the Year in the league in back to back years – 2021, 2022.
Nyandeni is in an elite group of players who have reached a century of caps:
| PLAYER | CAPS | GOALS | |
| Janine VAN WYK | 183 | 12 | |
| Noko MATLOU | 169 | 66 | |
| Nompumelelo NYANDENI | 149 | 39 | |
| Refiloe Jane | 134 | 16 | |
| Nothando VILAKAZI | 133 | 7 | |
| Portia Modise (retired) | 124 | 101 | |
| Mamello MAKHABANE | 121 | 22 | |
| Amanda DLAMINI (retired) | 105 | 24 | |
| Leandra SMEDA | 100 | 22 |
By Matlhomola Morake
