Friday’s third-place play-off against Ghana isn’t only the end of Banyana Banyana’s 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWC) campaign but also the start of the 2020 Olympics’ four-year cycle.
Banyana’s captain, Janine van Wyk (29), wants to be a part of that journey that will hopefully end with the side not only qualifying for a third successive Olympics but also doing better in Tokyo than they did in London and Rio de Janeiro where they returned with just a point. Van Wyk will be 33 when the next Olympics kick-off.
Before that, the senior women’s national team will travel to Ghana for the 2018 AWC. The top three teams in that tournament will represent Africa in the 2019 World Cup in France. Van Wyk believes that she has enough strength in her legs to carry her that far.
“I still have a lot to give,” she said. “A lot of people think that at the age of 29 you should be thinking about retiring. But I disagree with that. There are many international footballers, good footballers, who play until they are 35 or 36. I can still contribute to this team.”
Van Wyk’s centreback partner Bambani Mbane showed that she can take over the responsibilities of leading the team at the back. But she isn’t completely there yet. She lacks experience that could have seen her do certain things better in this tournament, like not foul Ngozi Okobi who had her back against the goal that was sufficiently protected. That free-kick resulted in Nigeria’s only goal in their 1-0 win over Banyana in the semi-final of the AWC in Limbe on Tuesday. Yesterday Banyana flew to Yaounde to prepare for their match against the Black Queens tomorrow at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo.
“We are disappointed to not reach the final,” Van Wyk said. “I think that we had a pretty good chance. We held our own. We created so many chances. But if you don’t score, you don’t win games. We had Nigeria on the back foot for the most part of the game.”
Van Wyk continued: “They were lucky to get this win because we came out with everything that we had. We now have to focus on our next game and try to at least leave here with a bronze medal. It would make us feel a bit better because we deserve to finish this tournament with something.”
This AWC showed that Banyana aren’t continental beaters just yet, but they are close. They pushed the finalists, Nigeria and Cameroon, and had they been more clinical upfront, they would have beaten both these nations. There is also a good crop of players coming up the ranks who will take Banyana to the next level along with a number of experienced 24-year-olds. The likes of Andile Dlamini, Mbane, Linda Motlhalo, Amogelang Motau, Thembi Kgatlana, Refiloe Jane, Jermaine Seoposenwe and Lebogang Mabatle should make up the core of the team that can finally help Banyana become African champions.
“I can say that I have played with many quality individuals,” Van Wyk, the most capped footballer in the national team, with over 140 Banyana caps, said, “but I think that looking at this team, with all the experience and the youngsters coming through, it is probably the best team that I have played with. By far.”
The Star