Portrait
CAN 2022 Women: Janine van Wyk, more than a South African footballer
South Africa's Janine van Wyk at the 2019 World Cup. Corbis via Getty Images - Tim Clayton - Corbis
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
4 mins
At 35, Janine van Wyk is playing her eighth and last African Cup of Nations for women.
In Morocco, the charismatic South African captain hopes to qualify for the next World Cup before retiring from international football.
A victory at the CAN 2022 and a participation in the 2023 World Cup with the Banyana Banyana would complete a unique career, which has exceeded the limits of the football fields.
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From our special envoy to Morocco,
We will soon no longer see his blond mane on the grounds of the African Cup of Nations.
After eight consecutive final stages, Janine van Wyk has decided to say goodbye to CAN.
The 35-year-old defender will stretch her international career if, and only if, the South African national team qualifies for the semi-finals of AFCON 2022 and therefore for the 2023 World Cup. "
It would be my last tournament for my country because I would like to end my career in style and it would be the perfect and ideal event for that
, ”she explains.
Janine van Wyk experienced the intoxication of two Olympic Games (2012, 2016) and a World Cup (2019), the first in the history of Banyana Banyana.
But never that of a continental title.
"
This is one of the goals I would like to achieve before retiring
," concedes the one who lost on penalties against Nigeria in the final of the last CAN.
But she assures that it is not this quest for the title that pushes her to continue.
"
I've made many sacrifices throughout my career to get here and that's what motivates me to keep giving everything I have to this game
," she said.
From a township team to his own club
Janine van Wyk's career is not common.
Born and raised in the Johannesburg area, she discovered football in an Afrikaner environment.
But to live her passion, the one who is still a young girl joined the club of a township, Springs Home Sweepers.
A nerve that obviously pleased the inhabitants of KwaThema.
"
I used to draw a crowd to the stadium just because people wanted to see the white girl play football
," she told the BBC in 2019.
In 2012, in parallel with her professional career, Janine van Wyk embarked on an iconoclastic project.
It creates a football club, the JVW FC, on its own funds.
“
The club was created with the aim of offering to help girls practice this sport in a comfortable environment in order to express their talent
, assures the one who is therefore the founder, patroness and… player of the club.
A lot of girls were discriminated against for playing with boys and stopped playing and I wanted to change that
”.
The ex-resident of Houston Dash (United States) and Glasgow City (Scotland) was contemporary to many dramas in the world of women's football, including the worst, such as the rape and murder of her ex-partner in the national team, Eudy Simelane, in 2008. "
It's sad to know that there are so many female athletes who are victims of abuse in sport
," said this apostle of diversity and activist for the LGBT cause.
It's hard to deal with because we know it used to be considered a male-dominated sport and many coaches were male before, which made these kinds of situations more common years ago
."
Source of inspiration
From the top of his 35 years and his some 180 matches in the national team (women's and men's records combined, in South Africa), however, had the opportunity to see things evolve in the right direction.
"
Women's football has gained recognition in recent years
," she said.
There is now the possibility of a career there, not only on the field but also outside, as with the presenters, the experts, the coaches, etc.
»
And when the footballer is asked if she would see herself going as far as the presidency of her federation, she replies, amused: “
It seems a little too political to me!
But on the other hand, I am working on becoming a football coach one day.
Whether it is to lead the Banyana Banyana or a club/country abroad.
I would love to work in this field one day
.
»
She concludes, full of pride: "
I know that I have contributed a lot to women's football in my country, influenced many girls to be the best version of themselves and did my best to serve South Africa in as a leader in this game. And I will continue to be a role model for the next generation of female gamers and encourage them to pave the way for others as well.
»
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