If anyone reflects on the greatest sporting teams the Rainbow Nation has produced during the past 29 years of democracy, it will not be difficult to point them out.
Francois Pienaar’s 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks are immortal.
On an almost equally legendary pedestal would be Neil Tovey’s Bafana Bafana heroes who raised the African Nations Cup trophy aloft the following year.
And Siya Kolisi’s 2019 World Cup-winning Boks are also worthy of a fair mention.
But another team now need to be added to this elite list.
The current Banyana Banyana team are trailblazers on so many levels. Not only were they crowned Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) champions last year, but they have now qualified for successive Fifa Women’s World Cups.
They then smashed through the glass ceiling with a first-ever World Cup victory over Italy that saw them achieve a maiden appearance for any South African football team in the knockout stages.
This is a golden generation of players who have emerged from the trenches, and have etched their names into the fabric of football legacy in this country.
Kaylin Swart, Refiloe Jane, Linda Mothalo, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Hildah Magaia, Thembi Kgatlana – these are now all household names in Mzansi after their exploits over the past few years.
But having achieved so much already, what will continue to motivate this special group of players?
“It has to now be about dominating,” Kgatlana said at a special breakfast hosted for Banyana Banyana and the Proteas netball team by Minister of Sport Zizi Kodwa in Sandton yesterday.
“It is not just about qualifying for the World Cup anymore. It’s about making it to the Round of 16, making it further into the knockout stages.”
Kgatlana, who had to overcome many personal traumas at the World Cup due to the loss of three family members while she was in Australasia, believes that can only be achieved through the advent of a professional women’s league in South Africa to increase the depth below the national team.
The Racing Louisville FC striker also feels that Banyana need more competitive matches against higherranked opposition if they are to compete on an equal footing at major international tournaments.
The 27-year-old and her teammates will have that opportunity next month when they face former world champions the US in two friendly matches.
“We need to start playing the big teams. I’m not saying we mustn’t play the African teams, but the majority of our preparation has to be the big teams because at the World Cup, that’s who we play against,” she said.
“If we are preparing against any other African team, it would be because of the Olympics or Wafcon qualifiers. But if we go to the big stages, we need to be playing higherranked teams closer to leaving.
“It is good that we’re playing the US away from home, and that’s something that will be handy to see where and how we can improve.”
Kgatlana is currently waiting on her US visa before returning to Racing Louisville.
@ZaahierAdams